A chance to choose again
by aravind.bellamkonda
Summary: Harry potter finds himself given another chance to overcome his fears and faults when he falls into the control of Valar after a huge explosion in the Battle of Hogwarts is made by the dark Lord intending to kill Harry. He is overjoyed to find love, care and affection in Middle Earth. Given a chance again to chose how his life should proceed, he moves forward to protect the people
1. Chapter 1

_This is a Lord of the rings and Harry potter Crossover. I am new here and inspired by the few stories I have read, got courage to publish this here. I have started planing this story way back in 2008 but didn't come across a suitable platform to share. Happy that I have found one. Though I realize there could be thousands of fictions with a similar plot line, this is mine and I feel happy to let my thoughts out here. _

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CHAPTER 1

Harry is walking in the forbidden forest wearing his invisible cloak to meet Voldemort for one last time. He has courage in his heart, but that is not able to control his sadness. Though he is definitely going to accomplish his final task, and be able to destroy Voldemort, he could not control his grief. He never had truly received love. He lost his parents even before he know their names. He had no lovable memories to cherish when he was with the Dursleys. He lost his Loving Godfather even before he could bond with him. He had never spent any decent time with him to experience his love. He had to break up with Ginny, his one true love for the quest of Horcrux. The man he treated like his grandfather and believed in to the core turned out to be one who never actually loved him, but merely used him as a tool against Voldemort. His only luck was that he had friends. Friends he could share everything with and now he is going to leave them. What had he achieved in this life, he could not empathize.

He is going to end this quest and make Voldemort a mortal, a vulnerable person. He will make him weak for Neville or his friends to take him and end his dark reign. It is not for revenge. He had once thought of this quest as a revenge for his parents, his god father, for Cedric, for Dumbledore, for Moody, … but the list has been going on further long. He is going to end an calamity. It is not going to be easy for his friends even then to take on the remaining death eaters, though they were few, he knows they would cause havoc. He will take as much as he can now and make the task easy for his friends. He would do much damage, would break the death eaters, not for glory or to satisfy himself, but to protect his friends from their evil. Many people lost their loved ones and now he is going to end this.

He walked to Voldemort and could see Nagini slithering on the cool forest floor. He looked at the fang of Basilisk in his hand. He was given one by Hermione before he had decided to leave. Now this thing is going to be valuable. He slid past the death eaters and walked in slow steps towards Nagini. It was still by the Voldemort's legs. He hated him for all that had happened. If not for this man, I could have parents and relatives. All the magical world would have been in peace and security. He really hated him. He took out the fang slowly and carefully proceeded towards Nagini's head. Whenever he had to go through ordeals like this, he always had his friends Ron and Hermione. But he could not bring them here. They would have followed him here for sure, for they had always been with him, even during the dark days of Horcrux hunting. The snake seemed it could sense him to be around. He made no noise and when he got really close, he made a battle cry and jumped out of the cloak onto the snake . He had miscalculated the reflexes of the snake. The snake hissed and before he could strike, spiraled him in its muscular coils. Voldemort, startled by the commotion, made out his best curse, the death curse. So did most of the death eaters. But Nagini was so looped around him, it blocked all the death curses. It is a horcrux, so their curses could not effect it. He could see the hunger in the snakes eyes as it moved to strike him. Harry and the snake wrangled and Harry twisted his wrist and pierced the snake's stomach with the fang. Nagini didn't loose his grip on Harry, but he continued to pierce the snakes soft belly with the horcrux killing Basilisk fang. Voldemort yelled with pain as his horcrux turned into flames and burned viciously and he fell on the ground with a thud, affected by the sudden lose of hope and energy, as though he received a knockout blow.

The winter wind made the fires of Nagini spread around the forest and to the wonder struck death eaters, the forest started to burn. Everyone hurried as they tried to analyze the situation. Some ran to stop the fires while some rushed to the dark lord who is wrenching in pain. Harry suffered serious burns but he never cared for the searing pain. He took out his wand and started to make blasts. "_Bombarda maxima_" he yelled at the approaching death eaters and sent them flying across the forest. The blasts he made were huge. They generated humongous force that fired away the dark lords minions. Even the skillful ones were affected by the fires and Harry made the fire spiral that he had seen Dumbledore conjure in the cave before he died. He came running down on the death eaters, like a lion running after his prey . He could not even realize what he had been making, but spell after spell, jinx after jinx fired from his wand destroying the horrified death eaters. Even before they could conjure a spell, their fastest and best, Harry's magic struck them. They could not think what to do. Panic affected them like the fire affected the forest. Most of them flew in to the burning forest where they met angry centaurs fleeing away from the fires and screamed as they ran into their deaths in that stampede.

Bellatrix rushed over onto Harry with her trade mark torture curse. Harry dodged that and attacked her with all force. She was the one that killed Sirius. Bellatrix was taken aback by the force of Harry and the speed of his spell delivery. She came out to attack and her attacks were futile against Harry. What in the dark Lord's name is she facing now! She wondered. When had he achieved this skill levels. Its not skill, but pure ferocity, ferocity of a warrior who is fighting to protect his family. The attack reduced to a duel and seeing that, the death eaters attending Voldemort rushed to her aid, But even before they could reach her out, she was biting dust by Harry's stunning spell. The death eaters didn't know what way to take down the attack. Harry was more serious than the order they have faced and he is more furious than the fire that is raging around them. They had fought aurors and they are nothing compared to the rage of Harry. They never expected the seventeen year old boy to tear them apart. They could see neither the boy pointing his wand towards them, nor he making the spell. Before they could even figure where he is, they are being taken down. "_Confringo_" harry made a blasting spell and there was no chance for Death Eaters to form a group. Chaos struck them, funny thing that they are the ones who cause chaos and worked their way out in that. They could find no where to go. No matter what way they choose Harry was already there to obstruct them. They were blindly cursing in all directions but before they could even conjure anything, they are being blasted into the burning forest.

He caught the disarmed Lucious malfoy among the blindly cursing and fleeing death eaters by the end point of the wand and said to the trembling blonde, "You have always been like this, haven't you. You claim yourself as lordly and all your life you have been less than a house elf to Voldemort. What are you? You have failed as a father never able to make your boy independent. You have failed to live as a person, who can get what he wants, all because of your greed. You have created much pain and anguish in the life of a little boy. A boy no elder than your own son. I can not expect much from a man who endangered the life of his only son for saving his head. I am filled with hatred on you people and at this range, even my stunning spell kills you. But I am raised by better people. People who can love and care and that is why I am not going to kill you. Unlike you, I am no destroyer of families. Be off of my sight." Harry had not noticed Voldemort devouring him with looks.

"See my friends, we have a hero now. A valiant hero who cares for his hunt." Voldemort said moving around Harry trying to gather back his fleeing minions. Harry had not seen in the rage of the battle that when had Voldemort recovered. The remaining death eaters were so few to notice anything. "See Lucius, you have to learn how to live from a filthy potter." Harry had neither removed his wand point from Lucius nor his gaze. He had been locating Voldemort wand though. He has to be careful, not for his own safety but to protect the old blonde he hates so much. Though he hated all of them, he could not let this guy or any other to die. Voldemort continued "Too pity, Lucius. _Avada ke d_…."

"_Expelliarmus_" Harry yelled and he disarmed the dark lord. He said to the satrtled Voldemort, "And what should he expect from being around you, Riddle." Voldemort shuddered on listening to that name. He had hated anything that linked him to his muggle father. He knew he was very quick in his way. Why hadn't he disarmed him on the firsthand? He was expecting Harry to react and thought to redirect the curse on him and then deal with the sulking Malfoy. He thought to redirect the curse on Potter. How could he be disarmed? "Remorse for your actions. That is the only way left to you." The dark lord shook like a leaf in the burning forest on hearing that. "You have been a fool all your life. Never have you enjoyed anything. Never have you had any friends.." Voldemort was backing up slowly to his wand. He had never expected someone to outrun him, never this Harry potter. No way that could happen. He had been careless. Careless even after his Horcrux had been destroyed right in front of his eyes. How could have he been this careless? He had once been careless around the boy and that led him to a thirteen year suffering and now he is backing off him, a mere inexperienced youth, out of fear for his life, out of fear of hearing his words.

"Oh, go on, go get your wand, Tommy." Said Harry smiling at the dark wizard. All the death eaters were gawking in astonishment over what the boy had done. They were too dismayed to do anything. Voldemort leapt on to the boy like a hungry tiger screaming "How dare you." Harry didn't even move from his place onto that. Voldemort came so close he expected to either kill the boy with his hands or get killed by a spell of instinct. But neither happened. He looked at Harry dumbfound not knowing what he would have to do. Harry said, "As I said, a fool, you seem to have just realized that, Tommy." Voldemort leapt backwards in anger and in one pace reached for his wand. He caught the elder wand, the wand that is not responding to him as his own and sneered at the boy. He got up pointing the most powerful wand ever at Harry. "You are a fool, Harry potter, You should have killed me when you had the chance. Now you will repent the action you have made" Harry caught up before he could finish, "Repent, yes, that is what I told you to do." "Foolish boy! Die now" yelled the dark lord aiming his wand at Harry. "That is what I have come here, Tommy. Die for the ones I love. You could never do that. You had none." Voldemort figured out that this boy is taunting him to think back. With a wicked smile on his lips, bending his neck slowly to the right, thinking what would happen now, he cried "_Avada kedavra_". A thick greenish light shone on Harry potter and it took exceedingly more magical energy to kill him. Voldemort squalled as his body trembled at the feat. He concentrated all his magical energy into the incarnation and fired the light at Harry. He could see the boy smiling and he wanted to evaporate the glint in those greenish eyes. An enormous sound is made with the greenish explosion winging everything that surrounded it miles away. Everybody at Hogwarts were shaken by that sound. They rushed to the open spaces to see what had made that. All they could see was a greenish explosion, the light emanating from it turning the dark night sky to emerald green. The very ground they were standing shook by that explosion and the kids at Hogwarts stumbled around themselves.

Harry found himself being flung into an abyss. He could not open his eyes but could feel the pain from his burns and the bruises from the dark spells of death eaters. He had not stopped at them, even though he got hit by a few of them (not the death curse though). It would have more suited Hagrid, the way he had taken the death eaters. He was in excruciating pain, pain not just from his wounds, but also at the loss of his friends. He could not fathom the way things happened around him in his life. Why had to be he so unlucky. Why had he to loose everything for foolish people. Why had he been burdened with this infernal quest. He had to bear the burden as the boy who lived, the unlucky boy who is supposed to be the savior. All he wanted was a little love and care. Was that too big a boon to ask for? He could recollect the happiness he was in when Sirius asked him whether he would like to live with him. That was the most happiest moment he ever had from someone as a token of love. But that was never achieved. Now can't he even die without it. Is this what he was going through is, hell? So many questions popped in his head and he felt like his head exploded out of these questions rather than the sensation of physical pain.

Suddenly he found himself in the presence of some angelic beings. Angelic, is a little word for them. They should be God. But there is only one God, not many. He found his fall stopped and he was at peace in their ambiance. All his thinking stooped and he was at awe and deep, unknown reverence for the beings. "Child!" the beings called out. They knew he had faced pain and anguish in all life and yet his acts are selfless. His sacrifices are invaluable and for that they would like to grant him what he always wanted. It is not just that they liked the boy, but under current circumstances he could be a beacon of hope for middle earth which is going through the shadow. "You shall be given a chance to experience love and care, though not in this world, not in this form, for you are valuable." And slowly Harry could sense his body undergoing changes and the sweet pain and numbness overwhelmed him. "Voldemort! My friends!" Harry asked. The eminent figures in white and gold replied. "Your friends are safe from your dead enemy" they replied with a gentle smile. They were extremely pleased that even when he was in the presence of unknown beings, he is thinking about his task and his friends. Never like a child, who by this age should be running after girls with friends and enjoying the pleasures of youth, but more like a sentient warrior. Yes, he is a warrior. "Who are you, your eminence!" was the only question he could ask. The Valor smiled and placed their hand on is forehead and slowly vanished in front of his eyes. Though they could change his body, it is Eru IIuvatar, who should give him his sapience and free will. They know the one father of all has already bestowed him with that. They left, blessing the boy. The peace and happiness extinguished and the physical pain continued. He found himself lying by a moist forest floor and shrunk himself to protect against the cold. The cold wind is burning his contusions and he closed his eyes in pain. He never noticed when he started shuddering and whimpering. He was too weak to even open his eyes. He slowly lost his consciousness.

Harry woke up at the clattering sounds around him. He could sense few people talking around him in a strange language. That was more like a blabbering noise than actual talk. Cold, rugged voices gathered all around him. He slowly got awake and could identify he was being carried by strong, cruel, ugly hands. He had never seen such hands and slowly moved his gaze to the face of the being carrying him. He let out a gasp on seeing such a cruel, awkward and demolished face. He was being carried in the group of those and they had tied his hands by crude ropes. Their bodies were all covered in black and red blood marks with heavy nauseating odor. The ropes are cutting into his wrists cruelly with each movement. He tried to move out from them and he heard a coarse voice saying something. The voice was irritating, like rattling sound made by an empty tin box in the bitter winter wind. The man or beast, whatever is carrying him thrashed him down and all gathered around him. They barked and laughed all around him savagely. They were looking tall and bulbous. He tried to move away from them. But one of them, caught him and shouting something, slapped him and when he didn't cry, he slapped repeatedly, until his cheeks turned red and blood spurred out of them. Harry could not understand but he started crying. He wanted not to cry, but he had no control over that. He felt feeble to attack back. He wept for long looking confused at those monsters. They laughed and jeered around him. Harry lost all his energy and fell unconscious. He could see hunger in those black, ruthless eyes. Those creatures were truly giants and Harry saw no way to escape their cruel treatment. His clothes, the black robes he wore when he faced Snape, when he battled together with his friends, when he went to face his death in the hands of Voldemort. Again, the same thought stream struck him from responding. He should be dead, He is probably now in hell, to get his punishment for being responsible for his friends deaths. No deaths were necessary, never had they had to loose them. He who led them to battle against a dark lord, making a battle of no hope. He deserved this punishment. He accepted that he is going to be killed by those monsters. If he is already dead, how could he be killed again? Is this a way to induce him fear and suffer? He accepted this to be his way and stayed calm, accepting the punishment.

The orcs were confused, they have killed many, ate many and all the while they enjoyed the hopelessness and pain the eyes of their captured reflected. But this child, could be no more than five or six summers old, shows no fear, no resentment or pain. They broke his arm and thrashed him. But he was just taking it. What kind of kid is this? Surely a brave one. Or a heart broken one. Is he so lost in his fear that he stopped responding? "He would be no meal," claimed one orc. "He barely has any flesh and he had lost any of the remaining in the bruises and burns. He is not even fun to have. Kill this and finish of this filth." He cried. The remaining orcs agreed to the proposal and wanted to kill it, but there was a difference of opinion on how to kill him. "Use the sword, cut him to pieces" yelled one. "Thrash him on the rocks" another suggested, "Burn and roast him" their leader called out. "At least that would be crunchy!" Everyone laughed at that. They were making fire and brought the kid to make a nice meal.

Suddenly, a shrill cry caught their attention and before they could know what it is, they were falling to the ground in the rain of arrows. "Elves" their leader cried and he was readily taken by a fast arrow. Elrohir never missed his target and the orc suffered death in his hands. The orcs retaliated and quickly started to push forward but to no avail. They could not reach anyone and soon were all devoured by the elvish arrows.

Elrohir got down his steed and started examining the orc pack for any remaining orcs, he knew there would be none, and to get any details of their recent ride. His stopped on seeing a little moving cloth baggage in front of the fire. He proceeded cautiously towards it and heard slow whimpering from that. He looked down and was horrified to find a little kid, covered in bruises and burns in that. He quickly took the child in his arms and observed him. The kid is very pale and weak. He is shivering from the fear and his body was all broken and covered in blood. He trembled at the sight and fell back to the ground. He had seen many deaths and more horrific scenes, but never a child in such a pathetic condition. He rushed back to his horse and hurried home. The other elves, seeing a bleeding child in their lords arms, followed him back. They rode at their highest speed and all the way, they prayed for the life of the kid. Elrohir poured the elvish medicine he was carrying down his throat and made the kid to drink it. The kid slowly got warm and looked at him with his bright green eyes. There was so much of life in those little eyes and so much pain. "You are safe in our hands, child" Elrohir said to the child before he drowsed back to sleep. They could reach their home only the next morning, traveling all the evening and night. Once they reached home, they didn't stop but proceeded to the healing halls at all their speed. The guards seeing their kin in rush and red blood upon Elrohir's white robes quickly made way for them. 


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the second chapter of the story I planned. The story is supposed to be an adventure, giving Harry a chance to overcome his fears and faults and help him redeem.

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Chapter 2

Harry could not understand what is happening to him. He was ready to be punished by those giant monsters and before they could do him, he fell back on the ground. He was weak and could not move. He was beside a fire and the warmth is relishing. He was all shivering due to his wounds and cold of the evening and he welcomed the heat. Slow whimpers escaped his mouth as his body shuddered in pain of the wounds. He wanted to sleep, but could not do that. The pain of the wounds is stopping him from sleep. He was again lifted back and could find a glowing figure holding him. Tears of sorrow and pity filled his eyes and he carried him to what looked like a giant horse. Is this one of Madam Maxime's? It was all white and didn't looked like one.

The rider, took him on his horse and rode over. The journey was very uncomfortable for he was never used to ride a horse and riding with all the wounds made it more difficult. The rider poured some liquid down his throat and he swallowed it. Whatever the potion was, he liked it. It made him warm and comfortable. The rider told something he could not understand and he fell asleep.

He was gliding over the Hogward's ruins and over the dead bodies of his friend ad foe. They fought against each other and now fell over each other. It was hard to differentiate between friend and foe. He was gliding over and entered the castle. It was all empty, all ruined and so silent. He skimmed across the castle's floor and moved from one floor to another. He saw someone and halted, a girl and a red headed boy. They were mourning over something. He fleeted towards them and before he could touch them came a hoarse cry, "_Avada kedavra_ " with greenish light and struck them. "No" Harry cried and jolted up from his bed. He looked all his surroundings and wondered where he was. The last things he remember was a shining rider taking him with him. Before that it was some crude monstrous creatures hurting him. And he concentrated with all his force to remember what happened. He could remember a green flash of light from Voldemort's wand and a greenish explosion. He fell through an abyss and met some angel like beings. They said something about dead enemy and not in this world, not in this form.

Where is he now? Is it after life? Then where are his parents? Where is Sirius? Lupin?

What really happened to his friends? Are they safe?

What happened to Voldemort? Is he really dead?

Is the presence of Angel like beings his dream? Is he still in that dream?

He was lost in his thoughts and never saw people rushing towards him and surrounding him. When he did look, he was too dismayed to see many bright people, some armed, around him. In that surprise he began to cry.

The healers, when they saw a boy, did all they could do to protect him. They were told that the kid was found captive in an orc pack. They were horrified at what the malicious beings have done to him. They slowly undressed him and cleaned his many scars and wounds. The dressed his burns and fixed his broken arm. It was luck that the boy was swooned at the time they did this or else he would have suffered from a lot of pain. They found him a Dunadain, not a normal man child. They treated him and were happy that he survived the ordeal and laid him to rest. It has been three days and the child haven't yet woken up yet and they began to worry about the child.

Lord Elrond was informed with the finding of a child, he hasted towards the healing halls,

So did his other son Elladan and daughter Arwen. They were related the tale by Elrohir and were very sad to find such a beautiful kid in such a state. Though it is not new for elves to find such gashes and treat them, they had always done over warriors, not a child. Elrond found his eye sight blur out with tears. He had not cried after he got his tortured wife back from the orcs and the old horrors surrounded him. He felt gloomy and helpless after those memories invaded him. How lost he was when he received the first news, his wife Celebrain was captured by Orcs, the restlessness he had undergone until he found her back. No matter what he or his children had done, she would not respond and after that, in such pain, she had sailed past the shores to the undying lands for peace. He was left all alone by his wife to face the rest of his days here. He could not contain the thoughts and dispersed back to his chambers.

From the first sight of the child, Arwen could not contain her love for the kid. So beautiful and fragile he was, yet so tattered. He was very pale, very weak and she could not fathom what he had undergone. She nursed him along with the healers and stayed by him for two days looking him after. Kids were very rare for elves and all kids, no matter if they are of nobles or commons, kids were always loved and celebrated. It is a boon to have kids and she had learned from her grandmother and her long experiences that, children, irrespective of their race, were loved by all. She was sure she would love even an orc child, for they are children and cannot be verged by hatred. This boy seemed special to her after she learned he is a Dunadain. So few of the men of Arnor have remained and from the fine making of the found clothes, it is easy to tell that he is a child of noble family. She considered how much the mother of the child would be wailing at this loss. The Rangers were hard, fighting back the witch king, but they were also very kindhearted. He could not be one among the rangers of the south, as there were no noble families remaining in them.

Bilbo Baggins was startled when he first heard the news of a child found in an orc camp and could not rest until he saw the child. The child looked so beaten and pale, he could not contain his tears for his predicament. Arwen had consoled him, but he could never imagine his worst foe in the brutal hands of orcs and now, he is looking at a child who had undergone such harshness. He remembered the young days of Frodo, when he was a toddler, how he slept and could not remain for much long in that room. It has been six years since he had arrived to Rivendell and this is the first time he had come across something that breaks down his heart.

On the third day, when the Arwen was sent to rest, the guarding elves heard a cry and rushed inside the toddler's room. When the healers and guards surrounded him, the boy began to cry. The healers chided the guards for surrounding him and scaring him. The guards left to inform Lord Elrond and the Lady Arwen that the boy woke up. The healers assured the kid with all the words they could and no matter what they did, the kid continued to cry.

Arwen hastened to the room of the boy on hearing the news of the child along with her brothers and father. They could hear the loud cries of the infant. The healers moved aside to make way for their lords to look up the child. The child was crying and Elladan's heart moved on seeing tear tracks on his cleaned face. Arwen stepped closer and took the child in her arms. She began to soothe the child and the child looked at her in confusion. She looked back at his glowing green eyes and gently smiled. She cradled him gently and in no time, the kid stopped crying.

Harry felt foolish to cry in the presence of other people. No matter how big they appeared. But even he tried, it became increasingly difficult to control his tears. Then he saw a women and she took him in her arms. He could not identify who she is and what she is doing with him. She looked very beautiful and radiant, much more radiant than the other people. She smiled gently at him and started to cradle him. It was comforting, weird, he thought. He was never cradled as a child. The Dursleys never showed him any form of love or comfort. He is a grown up and it is really weird to have a beautiful giant sized woman cradle him. However weird the cradling was, he was feeling comfortable and safe. He looked deep into her and she smiled again. She doesn't look like a giant, only that he feel to be shrunken. He directed his gaze towards his hands. His right hand was heavily bandaged and his whole body seemed to be shrunken. "Oh my!" he yelled on looking at the visible portion of his body. It was not like he was shrunken, but it was like he was in the body of an infant. That shock again resulted in his crying and he could not think how it is even possible. He got a very bad thought of looking at Voldemort's child like form in his fourth year. He knows he is a horcrux of Voldemort. Is it that his body was destroyed by the dark lord and he was placed in an evil child like form as a way of torture? He could contain neither his tears nor his fears after that horrific thought. The woman, who was cradling him bewildered on his rebooted cries and looked perplexed. She still held him in her arms. The others looked worriedly at her. Parentage was not all of them experienced. Elrond moved towards his daughter and took the child into his arms. Harry looked more horrified and fearful on moving onto another person and started crying loudly. All the elves, confused by the cries from the healing rooms, gathered around them. The experienced hands of Elrond slowly took the child out into the garden and began showing him flowers. Harry was so distracted on seeing those beautifully colourful flowers and stopped crying. Elrond spoke to Harry and Harry could not gather a single bit of it. The voice seemed so gentle and fluid, he could not catch a word from that. He looked perplexed at this carrier. The person carrying him is definitely not a man, for no man looked so beaming and none had pointed ears. He looked around and everybody around him are similar to him. Tall, with very long, smooth, straight hair and pointed ears. They were elegantly dressed and light seemed to be emitting from their bodies. The person carrying him spoke different words but he could understand none. He kept looking in around for gathering any sense about the place. The place was warm, surrounded by beautiful gardens. The construction was so elegant, allowing maximum light and wind to fill the place. He could see waterfalls, gardens all over the place and he could not tell whether there are buildings within the trees or woods within buildings. The place seemed so beautiful and serene. The valley, the woods, the buildings, the people, all looked so elegant and so beautiful. After what seemed to be a long time, he could get back to his senses and looked back at the person carrying him. It seemed he looked normal as the person carrying him showed no sign of infliction in carrying him. He must be atleast looking natural for these persons as they are not offended by him. Had he grown pointed ears like them? That thought brought a chuckle on his face.

The elves were relieved when they saw the boy chuckle. They slowly dispersed as the child is safe in their lord's hands. Arwen and her brothers continued to look awed at her father. Elrond, seeing this asked the kid for his whereabouts in different languages but the kid seemed to understand none. After questioning him slowly and deducing that he was not responding to that, Elladan made a slow comment, "Is the child impaired to speak by the orcs?" Everyone shot horrified glances at each other and Elrond tried to slowly open the child's mouth.

Harry found the person carrying him again speaking to him but he could not infer anything from it. Suddenly, one of the three said something and everybody looked alarmed. His carrier placed his fingers gently on his mouth as though to open it. Harry felt reluctant to open his mouth as he don't know what he was doing. He tightly closed his mouth in reflex. The person patiently tried to repeat the same but he did not allow him to open his mouth. The person opened his mouth and made a gesture to open his. But Harry was adamant. He would not open his mouth After a few tries, the person, who definitely is a male, gave up. Harry laughed at the man when he looked lost. Elrohir commented, "so he thinks it is a play!" Elrond thanked the stars for the child could still smile, unlike his wife. With a clear sign of relief, he placed the kid back in his bed.

Harry asked them, "I am sorry, but who are you? May I know where am I?"

The elves heard the boy say something but they could not deduce anything from it, except that the child could speak and he is happy now. They slowly sat around the bewildered boy and very slowly started asking questions. Harry said, "Pardon me, I could not understand anything? What language are you speaking?" The elves looked at each other. Harry continued, "I am terribly sorry. I must thank you for whatever you are doing with me, but please tell me who you are." Seeing them still dumbfounded, he cursed himself for not learning any language other than English. He never needed to as everybody spoke English and they didn't teach other languages at Hogwarts. In his six years of schooling and one year of hunting, he had never come across any one with other languages (Even in the fourth year tournament, the foreign students tried to speak English) and especially, never saw or heard about people like the ones he is facing now. They are extremely beautiful and their voice so melodious, more than a veela in both fronts. They are not new people, he could say that from their settlement. They seemed, more like unaffected by age. Harry wanted to ask much and learn more, but he started yawning and he rubbed his eyes with his hands to stay awake. Seeing his cute effort, the elves bade him goodbye and covered him with a blanket, tucked him in the bed and moved out. Arwen, however, decided to stay with the kid for some more time. Harry wanted to ask her a few of his many questions, he knows he is silly to ask someone questions in a language they don't understand and dozed off.

Elrond was happy that the child can be healed and can still smile and be joyful. It is wonderful and a true gift to have childhood. But he was concerned with the whereabouts of the child. He called Elrohir, "Son, Tell me more about the way you found the child."

Elrohir replied, relating the old story again "I was guarding the eastern boundaries and had proceeded a bit deeper than that as the forest lands were seldom occupied. We saw a fire appear in the evening and I was inquisitive to know who dwelled there. I saw a pack of orcs, thirty one orcs in it. We took positions immediately and surrounded them, shot down the orcs giving those creatures no chance to retaliate. I walked into the dead orcs to see if anyone is still alive and to learn more about them. They seemed to be traveling from the mountains, through the old forest. I could not tell what villages they have burnt in their way as there are none in between here and the mountains. They must be running all their way as they seemed tired and hungry and I heard muffled cries and spotted the source of those sounds as this child. All I can infer about the child is, as he is a Dunadain, he must be one of Estel's people. The Northern rangers could have striked the orcs and reduced their numbers and in the battle, they should be outnumbered and killed, leaving the child in the hands of orcs. But I could not tell why the rangers were bringing a child when attacking an orc pack."

"Are there any fresh battle injuries on the orcs?" Elrond inquired. "No, father" Elrohir replied. "Then how could you say they were intercepted by rangers? The northern rangers are not that weak to leave orcs, atleast one, without any injuries." Elrond questioned. 'True', Elrohir thought. "And no ranger will bring child as little as the one here into the forest. As there were no injuries, it is not true that the orcs raided their families." Elrond continued. "Only if they were heavily outnumbered and had all died in the process." Elrohir replied. Elrond continued "If so, the orcs would have eaten the kid, they should be vary of battle and knowing how much they hated the rangers, they would not kept the kid alive for this long. There were no ranger companies here, neither are any settlements. They should have been traveling for many days on foot from the deep north till here and would have eaten or killed the child, unless,, "

"Unless what?" asked Elrohir impatiently.

"Unless he was asked to be brought." Elrond carefully replied.

Elrohir looked deeply troubled on hearing those words. Why would a little child be asked to be brought? Seeing his son troubled, Elrond said, "Don't trouble yourself. Go back and rest now. We will find more about the strange speaking child later." Yes, the child speaks in a different tongue. He also seemed to be unheard of any of the tongues here. How could that possibly be?

Arwen continued to look at the sleeping child. She could not tell why, but she began growing affectionate of the child. The child surely had suffered a lot. She remembered her mother. She too, had suffered the same misfortune when traveling towards Lothlorien. The orcs had tortured her until her brothers and their forces brought her back, slaying the orcs. Why should people suffer? What had her mother or the little toddler here done to undergo such experiences? The images and memories of such trying ordeals seldom leave the inflicted and continue to haunt them. She felt sorry for the kid and why she could not infer, she wanted to protect the boy from any such mishaps. The boy woke up again crying, probably from a bad dream and she soothed him by singing a song. He cried for sometime and slept back, not before he saw her and said something. But his eyes showed he was thankful and she smiled back at him. He slowly drifted back to sleep and She came out to meet Elladan and Elrohir by the door. 

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Oh, I have uploaded two chapters I have previously written here. This feels good. 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks everybody for the likes and here is the next chapter. I have been trying to keep my grammar good. Please forgive me, if my style was cumbersome or the spellings and grammar turns out wrong. Thank you all for reading the story.

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Chapter 3

Harry had a perturbed sleep. He was disturbed by terrible dreams, dreams involving Sirius, Cedric, Lupin, and more about Hermione, Ron and Ginny, his Ginny. He woke up with a jolt when he saw the faces of the red head twins, Fred and George Weasly. They were very funny and made others around them very happy. He could not imagine how George is going to live at the loss of his other half, Fred. He was filled with sorrow and started wailing for them. He sat up on the bed and started crying his heart out for George. This time, he didn't felt silly to cry. He heard a song, a slow, melodious and soothing song that eased up his heart as he cried. He cried and let his emotions drain out of him. It felt easy for him now, to let go of his emotions and falling to the song, he felt asleep. He looked at the figure singing the song. It was the woman, who cradled him previously. He felt thankful for her and said "Thank you". He felt comfortable to cry before her. He felt safe and secure in her presence. He slept soundly.

"The song was beautiful, sister", Elladan complimented. "Thank you brother. The child woke up crying. He should have got a bad dream. So I sung him a lullaby." Arwen said. "It was the same song mother used to sing for us." Elrohir recollected. "From the moment I found the child, I cannot side the memories of mother" he continued. The siblings shared the same feeling.

"The kid speaks strange tongue though" Elladan stated after sometime to drag back his twin brother and sister from the gloomy thoughts of their mother's suffering. "One that is not heard of. He seems Dunedain, but to me he seems more." Arwen said. "Do you think he is some relative of Estel?" Elladan said. Arwen was silent. The kid seemed to be with completely different from Aragorn's legacy. But her heart pounded at that remark of her brothers. Is Aragorn safe? He would die before he let the orcs lay their hand on such a young boy. Had this child been of their company? Are they seriously outnumbered and all perished? It had been a little while since she saw Aragorn. She could not stay there and hastened to her father. The peaceful halls of Rivendell and the beautiful walkways now seemed troublesome to her. She rushed to her father and found him in his reading rooms. He was busy studying old scrolls and maps. Arwen approached and said slowly, "Father!". Elrond looked up to see his perturbed daughter. He moved towards her and asked her "What happened my child, Why are you worried?" Arwen sadly said, "Father! If the child happens to be of Aragorn's company," and she could say no more. Her father understood her concern. Estel was his child too. He had brought him up. He consoled her, "Aragorn is now far south, looking after his mother. The company of orcs were from east and should be coming from eastern mountains. Aragorn is not concerned with the child." Arwen satisfied with the answer settled down. Elrond made a pathetic smile. "Aragorn is a mortal. He will be dead, either in war or by slow decay of time. I don't want you to suffer the same fate." He could not say more. He still had not coped up with the loss of his wife centuries back. He is not ready to loose his daughter too. He had treated Estel as his own son and the faster he grew, he was constantly remained of his mortality. Related by blood with more than sixty generations of blood line, Estel was more his son. It was strange that his daughter fell in love with Estel, following her great grand mothers legacy to Luthien. He had no control over whom his daughter choose to share her life with, but choosing such a short life was causing him tremendous grief. Arwen remained silent. The issue had already been discussed.

Harry slowly woke up. Elladan was pleased to see the child looked a bit fresh. His hand and bruises require more care. But the kid is showing signs of recovery. Harry yawned and rubbed his eyes open. It was not his habit, but in this form, he has no much control over his actions. He could not remember if he behaved so in his childhood. He looked around and found one of the radiant persons sitting by his bed. Harry looked at him and not knowing what to do, wished him good morning. It is evident that the person could not understand what he said and so he remained calm. Soon, others appeared around him and they washed him. He had requested it was not necessary and he could clean himself, but he could not convey them that. He was embarrassed on getting cleaned up. He was at madam Pomfrey every year of his student life and hence he is no one new to hospitalization. But cleaning himself was no big deal there. A simple spell would do the task. But now, he knows he is an adult and though he is in a child form, he could not allow others to clean him. Not knowing how to react to the abashment he started crying out. He felt silly now, to cry in front of some strange people, who are very helpful though, just because he could not tell them how he feels.

The healers understood the child's cries as his outflow of his fears for the times with the orcs. They pitied him imagining how harshly he should have been treated. This was the time Harry could look at his body. It was not like the form of Voldemort. He really was in a child's body. His fingers, toes, legs, hands, abdomen all looked alright, though different from his childhood images of himself. He now felt his ears with his left hand and could still find that round. It is not pointed like the persons surrounding him. He wished he could see his reflection in a mirror. He was not feeling comfortable and it felt like being inside some other being. But all his actions, mannerisms were being perfectly executed, like his own body. He felt the same connection, no difference in his body, except that he felt reduced in age. He began to understand that he had not shrunk, but returned to his childhood. He was dressed up in bandages all around his body and was finally covered in white robes. There were few places that were not covered with bandages. Then the healers tried to feed him. Harry protested, he fought to eat his food himself. Though it was erratic, fighting off the people trying to help and save you, but he could not let himself be further embarrassed.

Elladan told the healers, "He is not trusting us. He is still portraying the same behavior he had shown the orcs. It is evident he fought off the orcs when they tried to feed him foul food." They were proud of is behavior but he could not help but contemplate why orcs tried to feed him instead of killing him. What is so special about the kid?

Arwen returned to look for the child and found him fighting off the healers trying to feed him. She took the food bowl from the healers and sat beside him. Harry stopped fighting and looked at her with a blank expression. She started singing and slowly started feeding the child. Harry obeyed her like a little child and he felt nothing to abash in his actions. Elladan and the healers looked satisfied when the kid finally ate. Arwen cradled for a moment and harry burped after that. Everybody laughed and not knowing why he is doing so, Harry laughed too. It felt very long since he laughed heartily. Then he remembered his friends and his family, Hogwarts. Sadness made its way into him and he remained sad. Arwen looking this, lifted him and took him to the garden and started speaking with him. She took him towards each flower and told its name, explained him its fragrance. Harry had remained silent listening to her all the way and was very much distracted from his sadness on seeing colourful flowers. He was looking at the flowers when a group of butterflies flew off them. Harry looked in amazement the scene and clasped his mouth. He laughed loud when a butterfly landed on his cheeks. Arwen pointed at the flower and told its name and Harry repeated it. Arwen then pointed the butterfly and said "**Gwilwileth**". Harry repeated it.'Funy name for a butterfly!'. Arwen then pointed herself and said, "**Arwen**" and harry recognized her as Arwen. She then pointed him and remained silent. Harry identified she is asking him to name himself, replied, "Harry". He felt some how intimate to exclude his family name, as in formal occasions. "Harry" Arwen repeated and Harry nodded. They spent some time in the garden and returned back when Harry started yawning. She tucked him to bed, covered him in blanket and kissed on his forehead. She felt happy that the kid is happy. She then proceeded to her father and brothers.

Elrond was in his study discussing issues with Glorfindel, the great elvish warrior and Erestor, his wise council. Arwen and Elladan entered the room cautiously not to disturb them and after sometime, Elladan said, "Father!", waiting for his permission to speak. Elrohir was sent back on guard duties now. Elrond replied, "What is it my child!".

"Father, I want to speak with you about the child." Elladan said looking at Glorfindel and Erestor. "Feel free to speak, Elladan" Elrond replied.

"When tried to be fed, the kid fought back. Though it is a good sign that he fights off, I think he is behaving more in the way he dealt orcs. But I could not understand why the orcs tried to feed him, instead of killing him. Why is the kid special?" Elladan spoke.

All the members remained silent for a while and did not know how to proceed. Then Elrond looked at his daughter and asked, "What do you want to say, Arwen." Arwen replied, "I found out the kid's name is HARRY."

"Harry! I could not think of any Dunedain naming his child like that. It is more like a pet name, a name his people called him rather than his real name." Erestor replied.

Just then a messenger appeared before Elrond and on giving the consent, he said, "A message from the Northern Rangers my Lord!" and gave the scroll containing the message to his lord and stood out. Elrond read the message and looked sadly toward his children. Arwen could hear her own heart beats. He slowly said, "Gilraen passed away. Estel had just sent this." "Oh Estel must be so bereaved." Elladan said sorrowfully. Arwen was feeling uncomfortable. She is happy that Aragorn is safe and on the other hand, she is mourning on the loss of Aragorn's mother. She was not acquainted with her yet and there is now no possibility to meet her. The elves proceeded to pay respect to her in their sanctity. Elrond knew that she was quite a strong independent woman who spent most of her life, after her husband Arathorn passed away when Estel was just two years old, mourning for her husband. He still remember her words when she gave Aragorn in his foster care. "I am giving hope for the Dunadain, yet I keep none for myself." She too was against the union of Arwen and Aragorn, for two reasons. She knew, that if the marriage happens, Arwen has to suffer the same fate as hers, living in grief and mourning for her husband as Aragorn is mortal and no matter he would live longer than normal men, but still is destined to die. The other reason, that Aragorn would loose the aid of elves on this issue. It is true that when they first knew it, they were uncomfortable but they had already seen that. And Arwen had just followed her mother side lineage. Estel is his son, and no matter what happens, he would remain the same. He could never think bad about the brave little boy who went to honour his duty as the chieftain of the northern rangers, the duty of is father. He would always like the boy. That is the reason he had accepted for the marriage, on only condition that he should be the king, either of Arnor or Gondor. For Arwen could not sacrifice her immortality for no less man. That would be his motivation, to take what is rightfully his.

He had sent word for Aragorn to come to Imlardis. His son needs him now. He has to cope up with the loss of his mother. He had not spent much time with her, he was with him as a child and with the rangers the rest. He holds very few moments with his mother. But a mother is a very important person to anybody, elf or man. Also, he could talk about the child with him. As the chieftain, he would have knowledge of the remaining rangers and could possibly detect the child's parents. He could not help but think if there were any other children in the orc holdings.

The day was spent and harry didn't wake up the entire day. The next day, he was looking over the healers removing the bandages of the child. His keen eyes observed that the child's body has several wounds and burns and the greenish eyes bore a lot of sadness. But still, there is little cheer in him. The arm requires some more time to be mended. It is amazing to see the child resisting pain when the healers were dressing. Estel made a lot of fuss when he had to be sent to healers for his training wounds. They would have to hold him, talk to him and console him a lot to be medicated, at that age. But this child seems to withstand pain and discomfort. The child looked back and said something to them. His way meaning it was more of a greeting than a complaint. The chief healer nodded his head and thought of arranging the boy lessons to speak. Arwen was at the boys side the entire time. The kid was behaving well in her presence. Women has a way with dealing kids.

Harry had recouped well and most of his wounds have been tended. He could sense elvish magic working on him. The potions and treatment is mixed with magic and is helping him to heal quickly, though his arm still needed to be bandaged. It had been ten days since he had opened his eyes and he learned the names of his tenders. Arwen Undomiel, Elladan, Elrohir, their father whom they referred to as Ada, is the lord of the land they called Imlardis. He spent much of his time sleeping and Arwen would feed him, Elladan takes him to the garden. He could not avoid thinking of how he ended in such a body, what happened back home. He began thinking he has gone mad and now is at st. Mangos. But the air and magic around him are making him feel he is very real and perfectly sane. He thought it could be a dream, Dreams don't long for days and doesn't have sleeping episodes. Who dreams of sleeping, while already sleeping? The ambiance around him saying everything is real. He could not understand what to consider reality and what is a dream. His dream were mostly haunted by Voldemort and the suffering of his friends whom he considered family.

It was then he saw Bilbo Baggins, the old hobbit. The hobbit was very much relieved to see the kid alive and recovering. Harry's green eyes enlarged in wonder as he saw a very short old man, not even four feet tall. He was very old and had a kind look on his face. His hair white and curly, short legs with excessive hair and feet, much larger than what should normally be for such petite person. He had pointed ears like elves though. He thought he was dreaming. He should be imagining things. He, thinking so, touched the nose of the old man and plucked it. The old man laughed loudly. Not anticipating that, harry hid back in his covers and looked out if the old man felt bad of his act. He is thinking he should be angry but things are not working the way he imagined. So it should be real. Everybody thought it was cute. All he could do is to stay calm and allow others to take his care and to his amusement, he began liking it. He felt ashamed for being such a burden to others, who doesn't know him and feeding on their hospitality seemed much more of a sin without knowing how to pay back. He had not yet learned their language to communicate, doesn't know the culture and the way people worked around. These thoughts were making him restless. So he got out of the bed and tried to walk out Arwen followed him looking amused. He knew his strides are little but he wanted to see things around and learn more of the place. He began looking around and Arwen thought he was looking to be lifted and she lifted him, securing him over her hip. Harry looked bemused and could not speak. Arwen smiled at him and thinking he was tired of staying in the room and wanted some air, began walking across the rooms towards open gardens. Harry was awestruck with the architecture of the place and Arwen could see the amazement gleaming in his green eyes. She had never saw eyes like these. Eyes were black, hazel or blue. She had heard of the red eye of Souron from her father but green eyes, she had never heard of them. And, the boy looked wonderful in green eyes. She looked at him carefully and was happy to find most of the wounds subsided and he has a few scars. But one scar caught her attention. It was odd. It was not like a normal gash or cut. It was different and she could not imagine how he had made that on his forehead. It seemed old. While she was examining it, Harry wanted to say about the scar, but kept silent as he knew he cannot convey it. Just then Arwen heard about Aragorn's entry into Rivendell and hurried towards the main halls, with Harry still in her arms.

She could see Aragorn talking to her father and remained there silently. She was happy to see him uninjured. Harry was looking at the surroundings while Arwen was hurrying to the halls and when they stopped he looked back at Arwen and could see the happiness and contentment in her eyes. He looked at what had caused her that and found a young man, a MAN, though looking untidy and rough and weary. He was happy to learn that there is another person who could be a man. He waved at him with his left hand. Seeing Harry waving his hand, Elrond directed Aragorn to Harry, saying "So the boy knows who you are", with a smile. Aragorn looked at Arwen and the boy in her arms. He is a toddler, no more than five or six years and he was bandaged. Who is this man child and how he ended up here? Did he lost his way exploring the woods and got hurt when searching back his parents? But there were no human settlements nearby and elves don't travel far from their place. He looked at Elrond questioningly. Elrond, seeing the questioning looks in Aragorn's face let out a deep breath and said calmly, "Elrohir found the boy, beaten in an orc camp in the south east, from the mountains and through the forest. He was brought here and nursed him to health. He is a Dunedain and we thought you could tell more about him." On listening he was a Dunedain, Aragorn stared at Elrond in a shock and back at the boy. The rangers were few and were all scattered on the middle earth between the northern kingdom and the way south. Children were carefully guarded and if orcs had laid their hands on a child it only meant the entire company of rangers, his family had perished. Elrond continued "Looking at the robes he was wrapped in, we could say he was from a decent upbringing and thought him to be northern rangers. But he speaks in strange tongue. A tongue I have never heard. It appears like mere babbling, but the boy seems to effortlessly speak it out." Aragorn nodded his head and said, "When the kingdom was sacked, a few of the nobles traveled north. They traveled far and there was little knowledge about them. But the orcs were coming from south east. If the boy is from the nobles of extreme North, Orcs would have been taking him somewhere. It is odd that orcs carry a child that long without killing him." Aragorn then proceeded towards Arwen. Arwen stepped forward and said, "I have heard the news. I am sorry for your loss." They looked into each others eyes and then Aragorn said, "I had not spent much time with her. But was lucky to be with her in her last days". Then he looked at the boy in Arwen's hands. The boy was looking at him. Harry was happy to see a man, but began feeling shy when he approached him. He tried to hid back for some unknown reason. Why he was feeling so shy to meet a stranger? Seeing this, "He is scared of me." Aragorn said. Harry didn't speak anything and when one of the maids tried to grab the boy from Arwen, Harry protested and screamed. When Arwen laughed, he looked ashamed and went along the maid. However, he didn't allow the maid to lift him up. He liked walking down the paths and started exploring the halls. He saw a man after all. So there are normal people. But the man's dressing was different altogether. It looked so medieval. If Ron has saw that, he would be glad to clad his robes. The man had a sword hanging down and so did most of the guards here. What kind of place is this? He strode down the halls and began thinking of what kind of place this is. On one hand, there are glorious pointed eared ones and on the other hand, there is a man in medieval costume. All of the guards had different types of swords and spheres. What kind of people are they? They are definitely kind for they are hosting an unknown person, though he looks and acts like a child. Once again he was troubled why is he in this form. He then remembered the presence of some Angelic beings around him through the fall in abyss. They said, '**not in this form**'. Were they really Angels? Had they turned him into a child and threw him in this place. This place and people seem so different that he could swear no one in the world are like them. So is he in a different world? He knew muggle and magical worlds existed side by side, but this is not the case. He could feel it is magical, but the magic was different. So he is definitely not in the place where he could have any association with. He surely is in another world, in an another form. He felt aghast and slowly recovered form that. He felt tired and wanted to sleep. He is getting tired too quickly and he was tired of that. He began walking through the rooms and lost his way. He began roaming down the halls, with good people following him. His tiredness overcame his curiosity and he fell asleep on the cool floor. He didn't know when he was taken back to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello every body. Thanks for the reviews. I thought I would reread my story again, before submitting and I think I made a good job this time. For those who think, (they have personally emailed me about the way I am portraying elves.) I understand my writing is lacking the fluid speech of the elves. But It think it is more important to convey the feeling than presenting the words in a fluid fashion, which I cannot do. Thanks once again for reading this story.

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CHAPTER 4

Harry found his days going smoothly without anything to worry about. He had seen a man and he is happy that there is atleast some part of sanity still left in him. The visits of Aragorn and Bilbo Baggins continued and he accepted this as his reality. He finally concluded that he is now in a different world with different people. Though he is happy with that understanding, he still got a lot to deal with, including his minuscule emotional control and not to mention the culture variation. He, to his abashment, found himself crying for slightest of issues and he wants to cover that up. But the people, whoever they are, are guarding him and are very nice with him. He had never received such humane treatment, though they are not humans. He accepted his reality and began meddling with it.

He has started taking language classes. He thought he should learn their language first to know what others are saying and to communicate with them. Arwen and Elladan turned as his teachers. Aragorn's visits are short and he always seemed to be wandering through out the forest areas, may be with Elrohir or may be not. Though there are others willing to spend their time with him, he is more comfortable with Arwen, Elladan and well, Aragorn is a man like him, and thus Harry is at ease to connect with him. He began liking the environment here. It is all green, calm and soothing. The music is really good and he liked that. The food is nutritious, though not filled with meat. The life here is a tune mixed well with the nature surrounding. Though it was difficult at first to learn new words, he picked up his ease soon a. He is being taught Sindarin by Arwen and Westron by Aragorn. As Aragorn won't remain for long, those classes are concerted to play by Elladan.

When Harry learned that the people around him, guarding and taking care of him are elves, he was totally astonished. These are not house-elves for definite. The elves are majestic, grand and composed. Power seemed to radiate around them. He also shocked when he learnt Arwen is two thousand seven hundred and sixty six years old and Elladan reaches two thousand nine hundred in two years. Everything about the elves wondered him. Aragorn, who when available, spend most od his time with Harry and is happy to be in presence of a lovely, innocent child making it is easy for him to come over the grief of his mothers death.

They, the elves are happy, with the inquisitive nature of the boy. Everything about him seemed to be adorable, the way his green eyes portray wonder, the way he sleeps, the way he eats, trying to behave as modestly as he can, not just a thing or two, but everything about him. He seemed to be a symbol of joy and wonder to Arwen, who in the boy's smiles is enjoying a second childhood. One thing still troubled their minds as the boy remains silent for most of the time. Every time he laughs, they could see a gleam of sadness and agony. The elven lords pitied him and took utmost care of him. Harry could not make much fuss, feeling obliged to their generosity when they guessed his true name as Harriard.

Harry liked his life here, though he remained feeling guilty all the time, to behave as a free loader. But the people, elves around him are very kind to him and he is having the feeling that he is a treasure here, a treasure they all cherish. He is feeling home here. But every time he feels so, he remembers his friends, friends who walked into dangerous and life threatening missions with him and believed in him all the while. It seemed that his heart is broken into two halves, one for his past and other for his present. Days passed and he started gaining fluency in the language and is able to communicate effectively. Most of the time, he would be around Arwen, who he is grateful to have and believed, if his mother lived, he would have felt the same way with her as he is now feeling with the elf. Elladan is very kind and taught him history of the place. Unlike his history of magic, it seemed more lively with being carried across the halls full of ancient paintings and scripts, he could feel the history around him. The initial shock subsided as he began learning history, of the origin of races and their development. Elladan told him stories, of humorous encounters and also the customs to be followed. Harry gladly did that, much to the amusement of his teachers. Harry thought he should do everything he could, to pay back the kind elves and they seemed to be very happy and contended with the minuscule of things he do.

Most of the time, he tried to take care of his needs. He would insist on taking his bath, avoiding the generous elven maids. But Arwen would interfere and wash him, feed him and cradle him to sleep. If not with either of them, he would go listen to Bilbo Baggins and Aragorn and from them he learned the parts of the stories and history not being told to him. He complained this, many times, to Elladan. He's angry on him for being only taught a part of the actual things that happened. Elladan, each time, smiles and leads the topic into different directions. Whenever he remains stubborn. Arwen takes him away and both of them play in the garden. Harry would then, by the night, finding his behavior not appropriate, apologize to Elladan and Elladan always grabs and kisses him. But one time, over the same issue, he went to Elladan and said "I am sorry lord Elladan. I was not in my best behavior with you recently."

Elladan replied, "It is not necessary for you to be sorry, Harriard. It is only natural. But it is always good to apologize when you think you did anything wrong."

"I thought I could have hurt you with the way I have behaved with you these days." Harry said looking down, apology sounding in his voice.

"That is no problem," Elladan said and wishing to see the boy happy, he continued, "What else do you think?"

"I think you are excluding the dark and violent parts of history because they might frighten me. But what frightens me more are half truths and riddles." He chuckled when he pronounced 'riddles'. Elladan always liked the way Harriard talks, trying to brief what he felt. It is mirthful to see a little child bringing up words and talk in a sweet gentle voice. Harry continued "I had faced the worst part of such half truths and was ter,,,, terribly influenced by them. They make me loose trust."

"What are you talking about, child? "Elladan said worried, what half truths are fed into this toddler. How could a little boy know half truths? Children believe what they hear and they cannot judge truths and white lies.

"It was in my past. Past from where I come." Harry continued, with tears in his eyes remembering all the pain he had to suffer because of such things. He could not complain though, he felt Dumbledore could never tell an Eleven year old boy that he should die for the world to survive. But he felt, being informed in prior, would have made him better prepared. But better prepared for what? His doom? If he had been informed, he would never have had great moments there. He would have wept all the time, like he had before entering into the forest. He would have left his friends too early and he would not have Ginny in his life. Tears rolled out of his eyes.

"Harriard?" Elladan called out, looking worried at the crying boy.

Harry could say no more. Arwen came searching for him and seeing the boy crying, took him into the garden.

Elladan remained thinking deeply about what he had learned from the child. He thought the boy could not remember much of his past, but there are dark corners lurking inside him, obstructing him to be completely free and happy. He wanted to inform this to his father, but thought it is better to observe more of the boys actions and gather more details before doing so.

Days turned on and he is feeling more comfortable around the lovely hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo started telling him about his adventures and the trolls confused him. Even he faced a troll in his first year. But they don't turn into stone on exposure to light. He asked Bilbo on that but got no satisfactory answer. But much of his adventure sounded reasonable to him. The spiders, dangerous routes, mountains, valleys, the trouble going on through the mission. Then again the behaviour of elves toward the dwarfs sounded different. The dwarfs were both in Rivendell and Mirkwood. He asked Bilbo, "Why did the Mirkwood elves imprison the dwarfs?" Elladan, who is observing Harry closely, not wanting to bring up discrimination into the young mind, said, "Because they did not want the dwarfs to go on a dangerous journey." That answer satisfied Harry. After all, if elves are taking great care of an orphan boy, they should be treating everybody the same. With their experiences over thousands of years, all these acts might looked childish to them and they could have not imprisoned, but grounded the dwarfs. Bilbo did not press on that much, allowing the boy to come to his own conclusion. He continued his story and everyday, Harry would listen to him.

One day, Bilbo was telling him about him seeing the Smaug for the first time. He too, could not tell much about the dragon to the troubled child and had never mentioned the term dragon, throughout his story telling. But today, the word spilled out of his mouth and there is no wonder in the boy. The boy always seemed to understand the issues, not merely listening and filling his brains, which left the hobbit in wonder. Elladan, who is with the boy as always, frightened and tried to cut the part, but in an indirect way, probably adding humor. "You know a Dragon Harriard, Its big, but not very cleaver…"

"I know dragons, but they might behave differently from what I knew" Harry replied.

"Oh, well then, tell me what you know!" asked Bilbo in his amusement. Where could this boy have known about Dragons?

"Dragons are big, snake and animal like things, some have giant wings and could fly, some crawl on like crocodiles and alligators. They have thick skin that is extremely hard to penetrate and have big claws and teeth. They breath fire and could be extremely quick, but only for a little time. They like to sleep and be at rest for most of the time, but could destroy everything, when wished for." Elladan and Bilbo were looking at him in wonder.

Bilbo added, after a little time, "And they have a great lust for Gold."

"It is only common in Dragons, for they produce fire from gold." Harry replied.

"Fire from Gold?" Bilbo asked in confusion.

"Oh, the dragons eat gold, they can't digest it and get health, but their stomach juices, juices that digest what they eat, produces flam…flammable gas and the gas is stored in its big stomach. Whenever it wants to breath fire, it gathers some of the gas from its belly and pushes it forcefully out and with a click of its inner teeth against Gold, it produces a little spark that the gas makes a huge fire out of." He is rubbing his stomach and showing them what the dragon would do with a lot of action and expression. "The remains of gold, after the stomach juices eat it, most would go to its skin scales, forming a thick metal cover over it. Some covers its body parts. It protects the dragon from the fire." It had taken a long time for him to say this but after saying that he felt happy.

Bilbo and Elladan were listening at him agape, Bilbo continued with a little effort, "And to kill it.."

"Dragons are extremely difficult to be killed. Most of the time, it could be attacked on its eyes, or inside its mouth. It takes more than a dozen wizards to hold one full grown dragon. But the little ones are very beautiful. Hagrid once tied to raise a dragon and named it Norbert, but it was against rules to bring up one and it also takes many years." He could tell no more as the mentioning of Hagrid made him look back into his past. No matter how much he tried to overcome his regret at it, he could not. He went away, wishing to talk no more.

Bilbo and Elladan looked at each other in utter shock. What was the child saying? His knowledge on dragons is way beyond the knowledge of the hobbit or the elf. They didn't know how dragons made fire, why their skin was hard. They were content with the knowledge they were made that way by Melkor. In the last battles many valiant elves have died to face the dragons and it took hundreds of excellent warriors to deal with them. Those hideous creatures, manipulated and made by the evil destroyed many. Most of the dragons are killed by now. And the boy said about wizards? How could he know of Wizards? Elladan knows there are only five wizards in middle earth, Maia or Istari, Saruman the White, Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown and two blue wizards, but the child is mentioning dozens? What is this child?

Elladan has informed his father about this and immediately Elrond called the boy into his chamber. Harry went in and saw Glorfindel and Erestor present in there. Elladan and Arwen brought him there and he bowed as shown by Arwen in respect. They queried in detail about Harry and his past.

Harry told them, "I am an orphan boy, named Harry Potter. My father name is James Potter and my mother is Lilly Potter. They are magical,,,, wizards. A bad wizard name Tom Riddle or Voldemort had killed them when they tried to protect me from him, when I was a year old and was forced to exile after that. I was raised by my aunt, my mother's sister, and my uncle. They don't like me. When I was Eleven, I was informed I am a wizard by Hagrid, he is a half giant. I went to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and gained friends Ronald Weasly, Hermione Granger and others. I had to face many troubles from the way I was brought up and witht he dark lord and his, fellow bad wizards. And with the help of my friends, my mentor, the school head master Dumbledore, my parents friends Remus Lupin and Sirius Black , my teacher Severus Snape and many others I overcame them. The bad wizard came back after thirteen years and began killing everybody, one after the other. Everybody thought I could save them and a war happened and in that I was killed by him. I don't know how I am alive now, but I think I had a dream during the time of my death and then saw somebody, I could say from the vast paintings and descriptions I saw and learned here, that they are the Valar, and then I became a child, taken by orcs and rescued by Elrohir and Elladan."

When asked further, Harry told them all that he could recollect, holding nothing back to their question, which in general are about his aunt, parents and his friends. Nothing specific is asked. The Elven lords thought they could not press a child for detailed answers. Harry felt he could not present them with half truths. They questioned him for a long time and harry patiently answered. They listened to Harry's tale carefully and when Harry could tell no more, he wanted to go away. Elrond said finally, "Harry potter, you said you are a wizard, can you show us some of your magic?" Harry is taken aback by it. He has no wand with him now. He said, "I don't have a wand now and I could not do precise magic. There would be magical bursts though and I have no control over them."

Erestor after careful consideration said, "Well, go on. We would like to see it any way."

Harry tried his best to produce any magic. But no matter how much he tried, nothing happened and after serious exertion, he felt ashamed and started crying. Arwen took him into her arms and faced her father and pleaded, "It is much for the child. Shall I take him back?" Elrond nodded and she took the child away. Nobody talked for a long time. Glorfindel looked at others and breaking their thought stream, he said, "The child informed us with a fascinating tale. It is impossible to believe it. But, there is no lie in the child when he is telling that. We know of the times in Middle Earth and have never encountered anything the boy had said. But, the tale is precise about the way the boy was found. It could indeed be the Valar that had have sent the boy here." The silence prevailed for long after that and then Glorfindel continued, "I suppose he is a reincarnate. Sent here by the Valar and he is having trouble coping up with his past and the present." Elrond finally said, "we will have the advice of Mithrandir over this issue. Do not trouble the boy any further." With that, the meeting concluded and everybody dispersed. Elrond sent a messenger to Gandalf with only a message to meet him urgently, mentioning nothing about the issue.

Harry could not sleep and he is all confused and hurt. It is same like his fifth year. He knew the truth but was unable to present it with evidence and caused himself much trouble. Is it going to repeat again? He cannot take it if the kind elves, much more Arwen and Elladan despise him because he sounded like a liar. That thought made him cry. He began crying silently on his bed. Arwen hasn't spoke to him since the meeting and has gone somewhere. May be she is hating him now.

"Do not cry, child." He heard a voice and turned back to see who it was. It's Glorfindel. He approached Harry slowly and elegantly and sat beside him on the bed. "I am not a liar." Harry said crying. Glorfindel looked compassionately at Harry. He brought the boy nearer to him and said, "I am sure you aren't one." Harry continued sobbing.

"Why are you crying child?" Glorfindel asked Harry.

"I can not bear all hating me because, because, …. I am only telling the truth." Harry said sobbing.

"None hates you little Harriard. Stop crying. You have seen how much people here love you. They might not understand you. But they would never hate you." Glorfindel brought Harry on his lap and cleaned his face, all covered in tears. To distract the child, he said, "Look, we are going to have a bird season. There would be lots of colourful birds here and you would like them all. What is your favorite colour?"

Harry stopped crying but remained unaffected by Glorfindel's words.

"Child, Do you want to tell me anything." He asked.

Harry was asked the same words in his past. Not in the same manner, not by the same person. He remembered his days with Dumbledore and started crying again.

Glorfindel cradled the sobbing child and cleaned his face again. The maids were bewildered to see the highest of warriors become a child caretaker. 'Children can make this out of anyone' they thought. He slowly said, "Is it something wrong here that is making you cry?" Harry looked into the calm eyes and said, "No. Everything is good and happy here. But it is my past. I feel guilty when,.,,, when I forget my friends and the people who loved me. They believed me and I had done nothing to them. They all…. " Harry could not continue.

Glorfindel said, "Oh, so you think you haven't done anything for them. But from what I have listened, I think you have done everything possible to you. You should be happy to have such memories and proud to have done much to them."

"Its not true. Also, I think I like it here and I am enjoying. How could I do that? I should be suffering for the ones that died because of me and …."

"Listen child, Do you know I am a reincarnate?" Glorfindel asked.

"What! What is that?" Harry asked. He had never heard of the word. Not in Sindarin.

"I mean, I was born again. I died in a battle, long ago and came back here. " Glorfindel said and Harry looked at him with awe.

"At first, I had the same kind of feelings you have. I always thought about the ones I lost in the war. I thought I could have done more for them. I thought I had no time and way of respecting them." Glorfindel continued. Harry cleared his eyes and continued looking at him in wonder.

"Then, it is not possible to do anything to them now. I cannot forget them. I can only respect them. I have no other way of doing anything to them. I realized that the best way to honour them is by living a great life, a life they wanted me to have if they were alive. The only way I can honor them is by living the way they expected me to live. They always thought I was a great warrior. I don't know how much of a warrior I am, but I will continue to do everything to become one. I will protect the people from all their fears. But at the same time, they also wanted me to be happy. Don't you think the ones who died for you, would want you to be happy and safe?"

Harry slightly nodded.

"Then, be happy child."

"But, I am no longer for them. I could not,… "

"Child, its not others fault that you are dead and so it is not yours fault that they are dead. Everybody, even us, elves have limited time and when it is out, we all go back to where we came from. Realize what you are and be that. There is nothing to worry."

"But,..,"

"Rest now and be at peace. There is a long life in front of you and even the worst failures have ways of atonement. Be the best you can be. Life is full of choices, Harriard and I think you, like me will have a chance to choose the way you want to proceed in similar situations as in the past. Be happy child." Saying that, Glorfindel left the boy to himself.

Harry thought about it for long. He should live his life, his new one, and should never forget his past. He had decided that. 'Now, why was I not able to do any magic' he thought to himself. It could be because it is the first time he tried in this new body, new place. He wanted to bring his magic out. That way, being a wizard, he could always remember who he was and who he is. He began making the simplest of spells and nothing worked. He kept trying all the night. Arwen came back later and looked at harry who is not yet sleeping and doing something. She asked, "Why are you not sleeping, Harry?" She is the only one who called him by his name, Harry. He looked at her and said, "I am practicing magic." He recited her the conversation between him and Glorfindel and said he would become a wizard, once again. Arwen looked at him kindly and said, "You can become whatever you want, but rest for now. You look very tired." "Where were you gone?" Harry asked her. "Brother and I were talking to father about you. You like Glorfindel?" she asked. "Hmmm, first I thought he was some, some great lord. But he is also a very good person. Do you know he is a re… reborn person?" Harry asked. Arwen nodded pleasingly and Harry wanted to talk more, but he fell asleep in Arwen's arms.

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I think I made it sound reasonable. I am writing the next chapter and would soon upload it. Have a great time.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you for the reviews and keeping up with the story even when it is a rough ride. I am trying to make it more readable. The stage for Harry in middle earth is almost complete. I want Harry to be comforted first and then, he should have a solid reason and connection to make a fight. I don't want him to fight as a mercenary. He should grow understanding middle earth and its harmony. Please continue with reading the story._

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CHAPTER 5

Harry began spending his days more happily in Rivendell. His little conversation with Glorfindel boosted him and he kept looking forward for more chances to meet the great warrior. He continued practicing his magic. At first, he thought he lost all his magical abilities, nevertheless he continued and slowly he found some progress. He has no wand now, but a few of his spells are beginning to work. It is taking hundreds of attempts and almost all of his energy and concentration to do it. It took him four days to lift a feather up. He showed that to Glorfindel and Arwen and both were very amused at the boys achievement. "So, you are really a wizard!" Arwen exclaimed in happiness. The little efforts of the kid are making her very happy and his little achievements are bringing her more joy than any other thing. Harry looked skeptical at her. She, noticing this, corrected herself, "you said you wanted to be a wizard, again, but this is quick." She came forward and hugged him.

"That's very good, Harriard" Glorfindel appreciated Harry. "Can you do more?" He asked teasingly.

"Yes, but not now, It'll take sometime to,,,,, recognize what spells will work here. I used to have a wand and all the magic I learned was based on that. It is difficult now, to make the same work without a wand."

"A wand?" Arwen asked. She heard that before from the boy but could not understand what that was for.

"It is something through which I pass my magic to do things. Without one, magic spreads in all directions like waves in water and more effort is required to do,,,, " Harry stumbled for words.

"Magic." Arwen corrected.

"Yes," harry said enthusiastically.

"So, you want a wand now." Glorfindel asked Harry.

He replied "No, I want to show this to Elladan. He would be very happy. I like to have a wand though."

Arwen said, "Of course, he would be happy. And regarding your wand, we don't know much about it and should seek others help."

With that, sighing, Harry rushed to show Elladan what he achieved. Elladan received Harry into his arms and lifted him up. Harry said, "I would like to show you something" and did the same task, lifting the white feather into air. Elladan was astonished and apprised Harry. Harry said he wanted to do more and ran back to his room.

He spent all the day conjuring the same spell and by the next day, he could do that with ease. The hand movements and expression are all different now. It remained difficult for him to make the magic work out, but he's not one who gives up easily. After that, satisfied with the way it worked, he continued working on other spells.

Arwen approached Elladan and said, "I don't know if it is for good or bad, I have never seen such magic before. We elves have magic in us and it works differently. It is not used to do things like these. But I am happy that Harry is able to do what he wants to do."

" Yes sister, I am also happy for that. But we should inform Ada about this. The magic the little child is using is different and something we haven't experienced in all the years. Though it is not extensive, we should be prepared from the little acts. We don't know what the child is capable of. We should be careful, lest he might hurt himself or others." Elladan commented. They approached Lord Elrond. Glorfindel was already there informing him with the situation and requested him to allow Harriard to do all that he wants, for he is a little child now and he needs to be happy.

Elrond said, "Magic can be dangerous. What if he hurts himself." Glorfindel responded,"I would personally monitor all his acts and prevent any such from happening." Elrond chuckled and replied, "One little child, and all the mighty warriors are turning into baby sitters." Everybody laughed at that. Sensing his children are waiting for him, Lord Elrond turned towards them. Arwen said, "Ada, we came to inform you about the same."

Lord Elrond stated, "Let him not be submerged into his efforts. The boy must be kept busy with other things and he needs further guidance and counsel on the magical front. See him into studying and learning. We can have the mentors teach him of the ways here."

Arwen protested, "Father, the child is making quick progress and brother and myself are teaching him now. Why do he need other mentors?"

Elrond gravely said, "I can see your love for the human child, beloved Arwen, but in the hands of experts, he would shine bright. As his time is limited, he grows quickly and he need to be trained in a variety of ways. Maia or not, he is around six summers by now and he would be at age by twenty. He needs to be prepared by that time."

Arwen remained silent contemplating what she has just heard. "Ada is right sister. You should have seen his troubles raising Estel."

She blushed on the mention of Aragorn.

Elladan, seeing that, changed the topic and continued, "He is learning the language and is good now in the history. We must learn what interests him further, poetry, healing, construction, arts, crafts, commerce, politics and not forgetting the weapon training."

Arwen mentioned, "That's a long list for a little child."

"That is the way it happens sister," Elladan chuckled. "But lets continue with his current progress before I get caught up in other things." Saying that, they proceeded towards Harry and she took Harry into the rooms and continued teaching Sindarin. Harry happily accepted.

Days looked more promising now. Each day, he would wake up, get his wash, have his break fast and milk, play around in the garden, learn Sindarin, history and after lunch, he would dedicate all his time to his magic. Each day, he progressed a little. In the evening he would go to play around. He found all the elves are happy to see him happy and he is joyful and elated. In the night, either Bilbo or Glorfindel would tell him amazing stories and Arwen would take him to sleep. He liked being here. He liked the stories of Bilbo Baggins about Frodo, Shire and his adventures. The troubles the old man had had with the young Frodo were amusing. Glorfindel's tales are more instructing. He was able to perform the basic of spells and jinx in a couple of weeks.

Elrond is worried on getting no sign about Gandalf. It has been a month and the elven messengers don't take much time to deliver a message. But unlike Radagast or Saruman, Gandalf is more into traveling and could be roaming anywhere in all of middle earth. But lately, he seemed to be worrying about something, something that had yet to be informed. He waited patiently. He turned his thought towards Harry. When the child began performing his magic, his children were jubilant, but he could not. The magic meant that the child's story is true and he is sorry for the child to suffer that much at a very young age. But he is also worried about Arwen. With each passing day, she is turning more and more into his mother. She is yet to be married and she is after a man. He loves Estel but still, Estel is mortal. He could not contemplate how broke his daughter would be when she loosed them. Now here is a child, and what happens to her if he leaves. How hard it is on him to think of his beloved daughter in such a distraught. Only time can tell him the answers. He knows he is half-elven and like his elder brother, his daughter has a choice to remain mortal. But the costs of her actions would be high. Thinking that he could not help much on the issue, Elrond proceeded to rest.  
_

Harry continued his language and History classes , now not by Arwen and Elladan, but by the elven mentors and he chose construction, healing to continue further in education. Glorfindel started to train Harry personally in the art of war. Elladan was sent away on some issues.

One day he was walking along the corridor when suddenly he felt someone behind him. He ignored thinking it is some maid-elves or guards. Suddenly, "Surprise" Elrohir said, coming close to Harry, closing his eyes. "Aragorn", Harry cried out in surprise and then touching the elves fingers, corrected, "No, Elladan." Elrohir turned the kid towards him sat on his knees to match the kids height and removed his hands. "Wrong both times," he said and with a little smile across his face, removed his palms from the boys eyes. Harry looked at the smiling Elrohir and jumped into a hug with him. He immediately got back feeling a little bit disturbed at his expression of emotions, steeped back to have a better look at the elf and asked, "When did you come, Elrohir? It was way back when I saw you. You disappeared after the first few days I spent with the healers."

"Yes. I didn't actually feel you would recognize me. You haven't even learned the language before I left. You are speaking good now." Elrohir said, lifting the little lad into his arms and stood up.

"Thank you. I feel happy on seeing you. Thanks for saving me from the orcs. I would have got into real trouble if it wasn't for you." Harry said smiling.

"No need for that. I just said you are able to speak now and you are using big words already. I am thankful to the stars for finding you. You are such a joy. Elladan keeps on mentioning about you in the letters he sends. So you like my two brothers then." Elrohir said carrying Harry around the rooms.

"Yes. But Aragorn doesn't remain here for long. He just appears and stays for a day or two and suddenly, he vanishes. He plays with me and tells stories. Where have you been all these days? " Harry said and suddenly remembering it is the way to speak with an elven lord, continued, "Forgive me Lord Elrohir. I was not behaving well with you. I must not question you."

Elrohir looked at the boy sighing slightly and said, "Of course you can. You have done nothing wrong. I have been guarding borders. I just suspected there could be more children like you. I wanted to be with you. As Elladan decided to stay here, I went on the guarding the valley and did a bit of expedition to the South and the East."

Harry looked through his widened eyes and asked, "Did you find anything?"

Elrohir smiled and said, "Oh yes. I found some orcs doing something nasty and," thought how to inform that and said, "prevented such business."

"Oh, Aragorn, Elladan also said they fought with orcs. So you three go out and fight them off!" Harry said with a definite tone. He understands the difficulties in fighting. He had to fight since his childhood and doesn't like them much. But he knows he cannot run away from them.

"We do many things. Fighting off orcs is just one among them. We don't like such creatures spoiling the things here. Do we?" Elrohir asked Harry. Harry shook his face. "We should protect what is rightfully ours. This place is built by Ada over many years and many elves are residing here. We cannot let some good for nothing creatures to spoil all this." Elrohir continued. "Other than that, we have lot to do, maintaining trade relations with the surrounding towns, build houses and mend different items, develop tools and work to produce food and clothing, maintain peace and security, and most of all, enjoy with little kids like you." He said, tickling Harry. Harry giggled and he kissed the boy on his forehead. He liked the sight of the boy being happy and away from danger. He thanked the stars for this blessing.

Harry slowly asked Elrohir, "How is Aragorn your brother, Lord Elrohir? He is a man like me. All of you are elves." Elrohir looked at the boy thinking what to say, After that little thinking, "When Aragorn was a little kid, he was brought here and Ada raised him as our brother. So he is our brother." He said in the most simple way. Harry didn't say anything. Elrohir thought the boy might ask about his future, but the boy didn't bring up the matter. Harry was thinking about Aragorn. He lost his father and was given away to someone to be raised, similar to him. Aragorn got good foster parentage. He is happy about Aragorn. He wanted to have such parentage too. But he is already satisfied with what he got and could not press for more. He is thanking the elves silently for all the love he is receiving.

Elrohir asked, changing the topic, "So, I can see your Sindarin is good. How about other things you are learning?" Harry, abruptly brought back by the question, answered, "Arwen teaches me Sindarin. Elladan teaches Westron and History. Now that he is gone to guard duties, someone else will teach me that. Glorfindel promised to teach me art of war. He is making me run and do some exercises for now. Recently, I have started healing and construction."

Elrohir further asked, "How much of the history have you learned? " Harry answered, "I am still in the first age. Though I am made familiar with reading a map and recognizing the towns and kingdoms. I don't get much of that. But Elladan is very patient in teaching me all that." Elrohir asked some questions regarding history and Harry answered most. Elrohir explained Harry those he had not answered.

After that they sat in the teaching rooms and then Harry asked, "I understand that as one of you are looking after me, the other twin brother should perform the duties alone. If not, you both would be doing them together. I am sorry for separating brother like you." Elrohir looked at the boy and in a calming tone he said, "No. You are not separating us Harriard and don't think like that." And in a mocking tone, he asked, "Don't you want us around? You tell us, we won't bother you." Harry shocked on the words and his eyes filled with tears. He looked down and slowly said, "I love to have you, Arwen and Elladan for me. But I know I am a big burden for you. You can leave me anytime you want. I am thankful for the days you spent with me. I have never been loved and cared like this before. But I know, I cannot have that for long. You are free to join Elladan. But, but I would like to see you all once again before you leave me." He could control no more and putting his head in his knees and started crying.

Elrohir could not understand how to deal with this situation. He had surely pulled a wrong string. This is a boy of many mysteries in front of him and he had made a bad move. Elrohir, lifted the crying boy's head to look into his face and hugged him tightly. "Listen to me carefully Harriard. We all love you and we love to have you here among us. It would really pain us a lot if you think you are a burden. You are a gift, a gift of happiness that one cherishes for a lifetime. I may not be here with you for long. But everyday I think about you and that is why I pressed Elladan to write more about you. Everybody here loves you. We all want you with us. Don't ever speak like that and we won't be leaving you. We will be always with you. Don't think you have separated my twin from me. We have seen long years and centuries pass like a seasons before us. This is not even a single count in our lives. We have been in touch these days and remain like that. You don't think we do everything together, do you? "

Harry looked up and said, "I don't know. I was friends with one twin brothers. They always did everything together. They were wonderful. Always happy, even at the darkest of times and made fun from everything they encountered."

"Well, what happened to them. It sounds you like them very much." Elrohir asked.

"One lost an ear and other his life because of me." Harry said looking gravely.

Elrohir hugged and kissed the boy and canceled his lessons and took him into the play ground to play with him. Harry remained serious for all that day. He finally put the tired boy to sleep with the help of his sister and told her, "I am very bad at dealing children. I made the same with Estel. I should learn this thing from Elladan and you."

"Don't feel bad, brother. The child has many bad experiences. He is not letting them go. He like them too much to let them go, even though they bring him nothing but pain. Time heals this boy and soon, he would be cheerful again." Arwen said consoling her brother.

Harry has had many dreams that night, dreams where he saw Fred and others dying. A bright green light strikes Fred while he was making a joke and his eyes turns blank and he fades out. Or he would see the last light leaving Severus's eyes. Or Remus lying dead along with Tonks, holding their hands while talking about their child. Each dream disturbed him to the core and he could not stop crying. Arwen, who sat beside him all the night, consoled him and sang for him every time he woke up. "The child's bad memories were rekindled." She said to the worried Elrohir.

"I should pay better attention when dealing children" Elrohir said to Arwen, looking worried for Harry.

"You can do that by teaching him History like Elladan did." Arwen pointed out.

"I don't think I can be much of help there, sister." Elrohir said shaking is head. "But I would give it a try."

From the next day, Elrohir started taking classes for Harry. He thought he was very bad the first day but he soon picked up with the flow in the next classes. During this time, Aragorn, once again came to Rivendell. He met Lord Elrond. After the initial pleasantries and rest, he told Elrond about the need for Mithrandir about Harry. "We have sent a messenger for Mithrandir to come here at once. I don't want to reveal the reason to him until he comes here. This is a delicate issue and much can't be revealed out." Aragorn listened carefully and offered his assistance. "I have finished the dealings with the Northern Rangers. I'll find out Gandalf and get him here" They talked for a while regarding Middle Earth issues and Elrond is happy to talk with his sixty eight year old son.

After their discussions, Aragorn moved to meet Elrohir. He saw Elrohir teaching Harry and went to meet Arwen. It is always as if he had never left Arwen. No matter how far he is from her, he always thinks about her and he feels like being with her. That is both his strength and his weakness. Arwen reciprocates the same. They spent their time together and then, Aragorn played with Harry. He told him good stories and Harry is happy to have Aragorn again. He made a face when it was time for Harry to sleep and asked Aragorn, "You would be going out again. Why don't you stay here?"

Aragorn smiled at the boy and replied, "I always want to be here, Harriard, but there are other matters that need attention. You want to listen about my friends in Lindon?" Saying that, h told Harry stories about his friends and their mischief. He is currently guarding the borders of Shire, as asked by Gandalf and could not keep there but coming back to Rivendell. His heart is not totally healed of his mothers departure. He stayed with Arwen that night after the young boy slept and he left the next morning in search of Gandalf.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The day Harry was eagerly waiting for came when Aragorn brought Gandalf along with him to Imlardis. The Mithrandir was honorably welcomed by Lord Elrond and was duly taken to his study, along with Aragorn. It was early in the morning the Maia arrived and Harry was sleeping by that time.

"What was such a pressing matter, Lord Elrond, for me to be called in? What can I offer the high Elves that they themselves can't deduce?"

At the flattery, Elrond chuckled and said, "My dear Old friend. I have been waiting for you here on a very important thing. I, with all the knowledge as a Elf possess, could not infer much about something and your guidance, in this case, would be valuable. But before I present you with the issue, relax and take rest. You should have made quite a journey to be not found by my messengers and finally by Northern Rangers."

"Rangers? No, it was only Aragorn that found me. Not a bunch of Rangers." Gandalf corrected.

"I am proud of my boy." Elrond said, but the smile faded from his eyes gradually. Mithrandir noticed this, but he didn't press further as he already knew the reason for it. Aragorn remained silent. He allowed his foster father and the wise old wizard talk without his interruption. Being observant without actually being noticed is one of the traits he is famous for. "I need no rest, Lord of Imlardis and the journey was quite comfortable with my cart and I don't think my Ranger friend here needs some. He had been very secretive about the reason I was called and I cannot help but wonder what it could be. But I was assured the matter was nothing dark and actually a happy incident, worthy of a celebration. So I thought it would be good if I bring my cart along, instead of riding on the Ranger's horse."

"So, those are fireworks in your cart then? Please keep them out of reach here. I don't want him hurt because of those." Elrond said.

"Him? Who is this him? You mean Bilbo? Bilbo needs no care with them. But it is not him I suppose you were mentioning." Gandalf replied.

"Yes. It is a boy we found and currently in our protection and about whom we need your counsel about." Elrond said.

"A boy, he should probably be found trespassing and got himself endangered and you are holding him here out of love I guess." Gandalf said thinking what could be it with a little child.

"I hope it was that simple, my old friend, but things are now seeming to be more radical than we think they could happen." Elrond said with despair.

"And, what is that?" Gandalf questioned.

"My son, Elrohir, on his guard duty, found a little child in the orc camp he slew, and brought the wounded child here. We treated him to health and what we learned from him puts my knowledge to a test. "

Gandalf looked curious at this. "A child in an orc camp!" His eyebrows tightened at this.

"Yes, He is a little child, five or six summers old. He is a Dunadain. But he spoke in a different tongue and has no knowledge of anything here. Everything here seemed new to him. I thought it is only natural as he could not have had any experience with elves. But he has no knowledge of Middle Earth." Elrond stopped.

"It means the boy was held in the orcs for so long. Why should that be?" Gandalf said carefully thinking of possibilities for any such happenings.

"I was horrified with the same thing at first, but the child's tale was entirely different. After learning a little Sindarin here, he told us his tale." Elrond took a deep breath and continued. "He said his name is Harry Potter, son of James Potter. He stated he is a wizard and while fighting to death in a wizard battle, he was flung into an abyss and was changed into a child and left along in the forest by the Valar. He was there found by the orcs and after they had fun with him, they were slayed and he was brought here."

"An amusing tale." Gandalf noted.

"I too thought the same. The child might have thought some delusions as reality while being tormented in the orc camp. But he has some form of magic in him. That could be easily sensed and he is able to let it out and do certain things with it." Elrond said.

"What kind of things?" Gandalf asked, concern and disbelief in his voice.

"Oh, little childish things. Lifting light weighted objects like feathers and papers into air, producing water into a vessel, creating little light and making butterflies out of dried leaves. I was much amused when Glorfindel accepted the child as a reborn and allowed him to do all that he wanted, but each day, the boy is showing to be more and more true to his story. Could it be really possible for a person, an eighteen summer old child, dying in a battle, brought here by Valar as a child, thrown into an orc camp? Why would Valar do that?" Elrond spoke out.

Gandalf didn't say anything for a long time and finally spoke. "Can I see the child?"

Elrond replied, "The child will be brought forth to you."

After that, they involved in talk about the white counsel and about the local issues, including Bilbo Baggins.

On their lord's command, the maids woke up Harry. He was sleeping tightly curled, with bad dreams and when the soft elven music woke him up, he looked around and not finding Arwen, he started crying. The maids tried to console him, but he didn't stop until Arwen Undomiel herself appeared and took him into her arms. She tickled him and he started's giggling. The maids informed her on the lord's command and she began preparing him for the meeting. She took him to the bath and cleaned him. She wanted him to be looking special for the meeting and asked for some special clothing. She brought Silver robes with Green borders and Green apparel with silver linings to him and asked him to choose. Harry flinched at the robes brought and pushed them away. Arwen insisted, "Harry, we are getting late. Ada had called for you to meet a special person and it is bad to keep him waiting. Get dressed and we meet him." Harry looked curiously and asked, "Who is it? "

Arwen replied, "hush, he is Ada's friend and Ada wants you to meet him. You should behave properly with the man. Chose one of these garments."

"I don't like these colours." Harry complained.

"You don't like them. These colours suit you perfectly and enhance your eyes. What colour are you eyes?" Arwen asked.

Harry replied, "Green. But these colours indicate slytherin and I am a Gryffindor. I like to wear red and gold."

"Slytherin. You mean something from your past?" Arwen asked.

Harry replied, "Yes. It is a house name. I belong to Gryffindor house. It is not like I entirely hate or dislike the house, but being in my house, Gryffindor, I feel more comfortable and happy."

Arwen looked confounded and said, "Hmm, lets look. We have your normal robes and these special robes. We don't have red and gold one stitched yet. We will get that, but we can't delay now. You wear them this once and we will have them prepared red and gold ones some other time. Also, the green and silver are very elvish. At a very good accord with the nature surrounding. You will look elegant in these" Not waiting for his reply, Arwen dressed Harry in those green and silver garments and after a brief grooming, looked at him and said, "Splendid. We have a very beautiful boy here" and kissed him. Harry rubbed his cheeks and said, "Please let me have red and gold ones. And I am a boy. You should say handsome." Arwen chuckled and kissed him again and led him by her hand into her fathers study. Aragorn was already there. Harry kept thinking along the way about his fuss on clothes with Arwen. He never had a chance in his childhood and never as a student. He was both happy and sad at the same time.

On entering the hall, Harry saw a tall old man, with a long grey beard and grey hair spread all over, sitting in a chair, leaning forward. He was wearing a long pointed hat and had a curved tree branch as a staff in his hand. He wore travel worn clothes, like Aragorn. He had a smoking pipe. Harry could sense a strange aura around him and felt magic within him. He cautiously approached him and hid behind Arwen, stealing glances at him. Elrond looked at the child and extended his hand towards the boy. Harry caught his hand and came forward. He kept looking at Gandalf with awe and reverence. It was a wizard before him, it was definite. But the magic in him seemed deep and different. He liked that and it was calm and soothing. A bit like elven magic, but was more cryptic. He could not deduce much from that.

Elrond presented, "This is the boy I talked to you about. Meet Harriard. Harriard, this is Mithrandir, my friend." Gandalf smiled at this and leaned further to look into Harry and said, "Hello, young master. Very pleased to meet you." Harry was still at awe and suddenly collected himself and said, "Hello sir, I am Harriard and I am very pleased to meet you."

"Harriard, that is a very nice name." Gandalf chuckled, trying to make the boy comfortable.

Harry moved a little, looked back at Arwen and said, "Actually sir, My name is Harry James Potter. You are a wizard, aren't you?" It was a straight forward question, a blunt one actually and Harry felt bad at the way he spoke.

"Oh, Yes. Harry James Potter. That is what other people call me. Who named you, Harry James Potter?" Gandalf asked.

Harry moved closer to the old man and said, "Definitely by my parents sir, James Potter and Lilly Potter. They died when I was very young and I was brought up by my maternal aunt, at Privet Drive, London." He flinched at mentioning his aunt.

"Oh, go on. Tell me more." Gandalf asked curiously.

Harry felt embarrassed and told "Sir, I really don't know how to connect the dots here. But as far as I know, I am and will be telling the truth and it might sound weird and irrational. My past and present are so different and from what I believe, I am from a different world, from London, United Kingdom, European continent. I am a wizard and knew that for a fact. When I was Eleven I attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My uncle and Aunt didn't like me well and tried to rule out magic from me. But I was taken there and there I learned magic and made friends. I came to know about my parents death and they died trying to protect me from one idiot of a dark wizard, Voldemort. He continued his trials to kill me as he believed in a prophesy that I will be the one who kills him. With the help of my friends, teachers and my fathers friends, I lived through them and when I was eighteen, I confronted him in a battle and I was dead." Harry stopped for a breath.

"Dead?" Gandalf asked with serious tone.

"I don't know well sir. That idiot uses a dark curse to kill people and people die when hit with that curse. I was hit with that and I felt like falling into a very deep abyss. Then I met great beings. Not men, nor elves. I learned here that they are called Valar, the ones that look after this, Middle Earth and next thing I knew, I was like a small child, inside a deep forest. Some hideous creatures, Orcs found me and they harassed me. Elrohir, Lord Elrohir saved me from them and brought here. I know this sounds like a mad beings babble, but as you are a wizard, you might understand me here."

Gandalf took a puff from his smoking pipe and Harry coughed form the smoke. Gandalf chuckled at this, letting out more smoke and Harry stepped back coughing. After a little time, when Harry thought of leaving, Gandalf asked, "What did the orcs do with you child?"

Harry replied, "They wanted to kill me, sir. But before that, I think they wanted to see fear and pain in me. I was so confused and so worried that it didn't matter much. I felt pain but I had no fear. They tried a few ways in the time they held me to watch me shiver in fear. But as I was not yielding, might have thought I am fun as they passed me from one another, each trying ways to intimidate me. Then they were struck by elven arrows and were all killed."

Gandalf remained silent for sometime and asked, "Tell me about your parents."

Harry moved uncomfortably and stated, "I am unfortunate to lose them very early. I was no more than an year when they were killed. I didn't know anything beyond their names till I was eleven or rather I learned false accusations made by my aunt about them. Then I learned that Potters are of substantial influence in the society and are one of the few oldest families, My grand parents died before I was born and I had no source other than two of my fathers friends and his teachers and one person he made an enemy. I saw them in a picture for the first time, when I was Eleven and their images in the mirror of Erised and their spirit forms when I fought with Voldemort."

Gandalf then asked, "What is this mirror of Erised?"

Harry replied, "That is a magical mirror that shows the deepest and most desperate desire of one's heart, not the persons reflection in it. Only the person with no desire and ever happy can have their reflection from that. I don't know who made it. But many people turned mad or wasted their time looking into it for what they could not get and I was advised by my principal not to be one such..."

Gandalf asked, "What's your school name again?"

Harry said, "Its Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sir. It is located in Scotland, near to London and students with magic from United Kingdom are generally invited with an admission to study there. It is a big castle by the black lake, hidden in mountains. There are other schools though, in different countries. The school was founded by four people, great wizards, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin and Helga Hufflepuff. "

Gandlaf laughed and told the nervous child, "I asked only the name and you are reciting the history of it. How did your parents die?"

Harry was already heated up with all the memories and trying hard to remain calm but at the mention of his parents death, he lost control and tears rolled out of his eyes. Yet he continued. "My father had three best friends sir. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, whom he trusted all above. There happened to be a prophesy about a boy being born to a couple who defied the dark lord thrice who would destroy him. As my parents were the ones that defied Voldemort thrice, my principal advised them to hide and they hid with Peter as the person knowing the secret. Peter betrayed my parents to Voldemort and brought him one dark night into the house. He killed my fighting father and my mother begged him to leave me unscratched. He killed her too. But because of the magic she had used on me to protect, the purest of mother's love, Voldemort could not touch me. He was defeated by the magic and went into hiding for as many as thirteen years." Harry was not interested in providing much details as he would have to explain them further and that would break his heart. Arwen rushed to him and wiped his tears and hugged him. She looked at Gandalf pleadingly to leave the boy alone.

Gandalf accepted to that silent request and asked no more on the issue, but more about Valar and what they have sad to him. Harry answered them to the fullest of his knowledge. When the questionnaire seemed completed. Gandalf approached harry and said, "Here child, hold my staff." Harry reluctantly obeyed. He was so drained of the ordeal. He held it and Gandalf slowly moved back asking Arwen to go back too. Nothing happened at the movement and Gandalf took a deep breath in ease. Harry looked around the staff and all of a sudden, the staff began to glow and within seconds the entire hall was filled with bright green light. Gandalf looked around in wonder and amusement. Harry, though used to the behaviour of wands, felt it odd as he was facing surges of magic enter the staff and the staff began shaking violently. He tried to hold it firmly and the radiance multiplied. Whole of Rivendell is filled in the green light emitting from the staff and even the high elves are having tough time facing that. They could not understand the source of such intense radiation. Elrond, Arwen, Aragorn and Gandalf were all filled in the marvel and before they knew what was happening, Harry, in his efforts to control the resonating staff, held it with both his hands and a sudden surge of magical energy entered the staff. The surge was so violent and intense that all of Imlardis shook. The usually composed elves were startled at the sudden earth quake and every body blindly rushed to open fields as loud clangs of utilities dropping to ground is heard. Everything was green to them and with the very ground shaking beneath their feet, they prayed Valar to rescue them. Elrond clutched to the walls and Aragorn, who had been silently listening to the boy's tale grabbed Gandalf and before he could catch Arwen, she rushed forward and caught hold of the trembling, now crying child. Harry looked at her and suddenly, the earth stopped shaking and the staff radiated warm white light. The light is same as the one elves emit when they are using their magic, but much intense, flowing through all of Rivendell, making it shine like a diamond. Arwen looked at the kind in wonder and Harry collapsed onto the ground but was caught into the safe hands of Arwen before hitting the ground. The staff fell on the ground and rolled over to a side.

"What was that," asked Aragorn still clutching the old wizard. The old Maia didn't reply and slowly everybody recouped. Arwen was tending the unconscious child and had taken him to the healers.

"That is no normal flow of magic." Gandalf said, breathing slowly, made one hand movement and the staff returned back to him. "He is no normal child." The other audience fell grave. After the effect the emerald and white lights and earthquake subsided, the elven lord Erestor hurried to his Lord to know of his condition. He met a hastened Arwen with the child in her hands. He thought the boy was shocked and hurt by the phenomenon that had just occurred. This Wizard is not a very good fellow. He followed Arwen and offered his assistance moving along with her. He took the boy from her hands and soon, the soldiers and maids followed them. Erestor ordered, "Go, look for the lord!" and many hastened to Elrond'd chambers. They saw a panicked Aragorn, troubled Elrond and lost in thought Mithrandir. They slowly entered the hall and requested their assistance. Elrond looked around and seeing the other two are better, waved the guards and maids off. Aragorn moved towards Gandalf and asked him again, leaning forward and looking straight into the wizards eye, "What does it mean he is no normal child?" Elrond looked worried at the statement of Gandalf. Surely, that little boy could not be evil, something that should be curbed off the face of middle earth.

Gandalf took a deep breath and slowly said, "This child, is surely magical. He has loads of magic in him, definitely more than me. We, Istari, are sent to middle earth with magic to allow peaceful coexistence of different races and are given magic to do so, in a way to attract and guide them, not to scare them. This little boy, is magical, but is a Dunedain. I can say this boy is not created on the Arda. He is made prior and is sent here. The reason for which is unknown."

Elrond, carefully analyzing this, asked, "That does not explain what happened. What made your staff to turn this place into an emerald or a diamond or what made the very Imlardis shake?"

Gandalf looked at Elrond carefully and asked, "Aragorn, please hold my staff." Aragorn looked skeptical and slowly and carefully approached Gandalf and stood there, analyzing the situation and what could happen when it goes wrong. "It doesn't bit Aragorn." Gandalf said, offering his staff to Aragorn. Aragorn took it with both hands and immediately switched it to his right hand, looking cautiously for anything to happen. He held it for a minute and nothing happened. Gandalf said, "You can return it to me now."

Aragorn looked puzzled and gave it back to Gandalf. "I assume as I have no magic, it doesn't work." "Not exactly. It is no ordinary piece of wood. It holds my magic. Though I can still do without it, it is very useful and I feel comfortable using it, to flow my internal magic through it and using it for a specific task. It is my friend of sorts. If willingly offered, it behaves like any other piece of wood to others with incompatible magic flow or works as a functional staff if the other has compatible magic. In the childs case, I sensed magic in him and offered my staff to check if his prowess is given by the same source or found in other ways. I expected little warmth and light from the staff. But nothing happened and I thought the child was some little conjurer, a tyro detecting how to use his internal magic to make little things. Everyone of us, everything in Arda has magic flowing through it Aragorn. But it is different from each other and most unique. The child has different form of magic and yes it is compatible. "

He took another deep breath and continued, "But what happened is, when found a way to be released out, the magic he was storing, flooded out. That created the Green illumination. Just like an Avalanche it has flown through my staff. My staff could not support such a flow and it shook and vibrated. Then the child caught it with the other hand, allowing more magic to flow. Such an outburst of magic influenced everything around and channeled itself into the ground, as a lightning bolt would and this place took all that magic in and shook at the flow."

Elrond and Aragorn took their time to interpret it and then Aragorn asked, "What about the white light?" After a few seconds, he asked further, "Is the child safe?"

"That is a two pointed question you have asked. That is another thing I don't understand about the child." Gandalf remained silent musing. The trio remained in the room for long thinking of various ways about the events that had happened.

Mean while, Harry was still in the Healers rooms. They were relieved when the child had no physical injury and concluded that it was a mental shock of fear on what happened. Arwen didn't tell the healers that it was the child who caused the issue the elves were all worried about. She had to discuss it first with hr father and the wizard. She let the her kin think that it was some heated argument between their lord and the Maia. They thought the white soothing light was created by their lord to soothe the perturbed elves. Hearing that the child is safe and is sleeping, she moved back to her father's chambers.

Erestor, who was organizing the elves and monitoring the activities of guards and maids, walked back to Elrond's chambers to get information on the event that happened. He stood along with Arwen and saw the wizard, Lord Elrond and Estel are musing over something. Elrond saw him and welcomed both him and his daughter. They remained silent not affecting the brooding men. Gandalf asked, "Arwen, what do you think about what had happened?"

Arwen replied, "That is something you should explain, wise Maia. You have seriously troubled my young boy. Why haven't you acted when something like that happened and what were you thinking about getting him into harms way?" The normally gentle Arwen is serious and looked like a serious threat to the wizard. Gandalf looked at the agitated elven lady and smiled, thinking he might have got an answer. Seeing the wizard smiling, Arwen could no longer control her pique and grabbed a nearby sword and rushed towards the wizard. Aragorn, seeing this, hurried and caught her before she could do anything and restrained her. Elrond and Erestor stood up in wonder at the act of Arwen. This is entirely new on the way Arwen acted. Like all elves, she was fierce when young. But with time, she had learned to be gentle and warm. Now she is looking like a ferocious lioness jumping at its prey. Elrond took his daughter away from the wizard and allowed her petulance to subside. Aragorn soothed her and slowly narrated the whole conversation to her. "Mithrandir was just helping to assay the child."

"No object he is to be assayed." Arwen stated straight to Aragorn. "Yes. We are trying to learn more about him. That helps to know what he needs and how he can be made happy."

"He is already happy Aragorn. He is happy here." Arwen replied, looking straight into Aragorn's eyes. Aragorn smiled and kissed her gently. "He is ,now. But what in the future. Without knowing what he is going through, it is difficult to keep him happy."

"It is true, Lady Arwen" Gandlaf said, clearing his thought. "The magic is building up in him. It has to vent out one way or the other. It has to vent out one way or the other. It is good it had happened now. If not channeled out, in a few years, he would have exploded the whole of Rivendell or the surge could have, if not kill him, seriously disabled him." Arwen turned pale on listening to that. She could not fathom how to bear if Harry was hurt. It has been only a little time, months are nothing to consider for a two thousand eight hundred year old being. But the child had taken a special place in her heart within this short time.

"And for the white light," Gandalf continued turning to Elrond "I think I may have an explanation." He paused and looking at the consent to continue in the eyes of Lord Elrond, Gandalf continued, "The child had told us that his mothers magic has defeated and drew away their dark lord. I think that is a protection upon him by his mother, that allowed him to be calm and safe when she died. When Arwen touched the child, his mothers magic, still on him, brought him to peace and repose and it allowed our evenstar's light to flow through him as she offered the same protection that the child's mother had. I think there is the white light of the elves and stars, because he too, is considering Arwen as his mother, allowing his mothers magic out and calming him and …."

"And," Elrond asked. "And, I think it is really the Valar that had sent him here." Gandalf concluded.

Elrond let out a deep sigh on listening to that. Arwen was, happy hearing to that and Aragorn looked puzzled at Arwen. Erestor, who has no idea of the discussion, did not say anything. He just stared blank at the Maia and his lord, with a simple understanding that the seism is caused the child Harriard.

"I can also tell that, the child has a lot of potential. If left alone, he would definitely realize his magic but grows into an uncompassionate being, uncaring for the world living in his own shell. Powerful, yet detached and doesn't stand for any purpose. But, if he is brought up here, he will grow into a responsible, empathetic and warm personality." Gandalf stopped allowing his words to sink into others and said, "two thousand years I have roamed this middle earth and yet it tends to surprise me here and then. I would allow the knowledge of Saruman the White to seek answers about the boy."

"I don't really think good about Saruman," Elrond said. "He didn't serve well in the white council. He had underrated the Necromancer and that allowed Souron to grow before we could take an action. He never did believe when the sword of the witch king was brought as a proof. I really do not consider him wise for his actions. But it is to you, to inform your highest or not. But I prefer to allow the little boy to grow. When it is time for him to face the world, he will. No unnecessary denoting is required on the already perturbed boy."

"If that is your wish, Lord Elrond, it would remain the same way. The boy would come to age in a few years and the world would recognize him. But he needs some assistance performing his magic and learning more about, which I would gladly teach him myself, when he is at age. I assume you are not going to send this boy away." Gandalf said.

"Indeed. He would grow here, as my child, Elros, until he is ready to meet the world outside." Elrond concluded.

"Elros! Good name Ada. Harry will like it." Arwen said.

"Then my lord. The formal Adaptation, would be arranged." Erestor spoke for the first time and at his lord's consent, he went away to make arrangements. In a formal ceremony that soon followed, Elrond adopted Harry as Elros, his child. Harry, did not know what to think off and before he could say anything, the ceremony finished. Elladan was brought to that and Arwen, Elrohir gladly accepted Elros as their brother.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the reviews and likes.  
A very special thanks to Sparrowbirdy who made a great effort as my other pair of eyes and made this story readable.

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Chapter 7

Harry woke up in the healing rooms, looking around as he propped himself up on his elbows. Not finding Arwen, he grew restless and tears began to well, when he remembered why he was here. These were the healing rooms; he knew that for certain as he spent much time in these chambers.

That wizard, Mithrandir, had done something; or rather his staff did something. He had figured the staff he had was the old man's wand. Wands are mysterious, they are bound to their masters and remain loyal to them until broken or stolen by another wizard, in means of disarming.

He had used few wands himself, and each behaved differently, he could comfortably use Hermione's; Luna and Neville's were also good. Ron's wand behaved differently though, that's because it belongs to his brother.

He remembered the feeling he got when he first took his wand, however, before that he had used some and he had received different reactions from each one. So what happened before should be a reaction. The reaction itself was violent; it didn't seem like a simple wand, it had magic stored in it already.

He was thinking about that when suddenly Arwen and Elrohir glided towards him, taking him into their arms and kissing him all over his face. Aragorn was there too, and he looked happy. He knew how the elves behaved; to him this seemed surprising and odd, for the elves are always composed.

Arwen announced to him that Lord Elrond has decided to adopt him. He was dumbstruck upon hearing this. Before he could understand what was happening, he was switched between the siblings, each drowning him in their kisses.

"You would be named Elros. That's the name of Ada's brother. You are very honoured to be given his name," Elrohir stated.

Harry could not understand what he heard and everything was a blur to him. There was a little ceremony, he was dressed in green and silver robes again and carried over to Lord Elrond. There, the lords spoke something he could not understand; and he was made to stand beside the brown-haired elf, who soon took him into his arms.

There was a great feast, and all the elves sang and danced. The twin brothers came over to hug and kiss him before joining in with the dancing. Arwen danced with Aragorn, as well as Bilbo and Gandalf as a sign of honour. Then the old people decided to dance together. It was quite comical actually; two old men, one very tall and the other quite short trying to dance to the slow music. It made Harry laugh but soon the elderly couple stopped dancing as the hobbit had grown tired.

Harry, too, was surrounded by some elvish children, who seemed very fragile. He tried to play with them, but they tired out pretty quickly. Not long later, he was brought up and placed on a chair beside Arwen at the dining table. He ate slowly, trying to understand what was happening around him. Eventually, he came to his senses, and he realized he is now adopted into a family. He has a family now.

All the family he ever really had was Sirius Black, and he lost him. He lost his friends, and Hogwarts too. Now, here, he gained a family who love and care for him, like he does for them. Harry, not overcoming his high emotional turmoil, started crying over the table.

Arwen lifted him up to place him on her lap, kissing him once more. He hugged her but still, his crying continued. Elrohir thought the boy had gotten hurt, as did Elladan, and moved towards him. Elrond, too, came along, he placed him on his shoulders, which seemed to cheer the boy up a little. Harry hugged him in return, but didn't stop crying. Aragorn looked worried, which didn't go unnoticed by Gandalf.

"Nothing to worry, Aragorn, the child is too happy now. He is crying, yes, but he does not know any other way to express his joy."

Aragorn nodded, before walking towards the boy. He took him in his arms, cradling him and lifting him into the air. Harry, to this sudden act, stopped crying and began to laugh. The man repeated it a few times, then brought him down to tickle him, to which the boy only laughed harder.

Harry, reminded himself hugging his friends and that memory hurt him. Once again, tears poured out of his eyes; this time, he made no noise. He kept on crying, and everybody thought they were tears of joy and elation.

After the ceremony, Harry was tired and Elladan took him to his room to sleep. Glorfindel, who was skeptical about this, approached Lord Elrond and spoke,

"My Lord, I congratulate you on being a father again. However, I am not totally convinced about this. My heart feels happy for you. But it also says there is more to this adoption than it appears to be. Kindly tell me my lord, is this for Arwen?"

Elrond looked into the eyes of the great warrior and said, "You are too wise, lord Glorfindel for something to skip your notice. This is not just for Arwen, but to all my children. Elladan and Elrohir raised Estel, and now they are caring for the child. If I had not made this move, they would develop more affection towards the boy. However, caring much for a mortal is unwise. My children could be cheered again, after losing a brother rather to losing their child. Arwen is so connected to the child that she thinks like his mother. When he dies, with a slow decay of time, it would be too hard on her. Trust me lord Glorfindel, a woman can never cope with the loss of her child but of a brother, she can."

Glorfindel smiled, looking into the eyes of the lord of Imlardis and the strategy he had made. "Then, my lord, why do you name him after your brother?"

Elrond looked away and slowly said, "Because I love the boy too. My heart tells me that the boy has more prominence in this realm. And with him, my brother's long forgotten name would once again be in the mouths of men."

Glorfindel moved closer and said, "You are the best ruler I have ever seen. A very good father too. I hope it will be all right for the boy."

Days turned into months and years. Harry grew up in the loving care and protection of the elves. He grew into a well honoured young lord. He completed his studies, much to the amusement of his mentors. Though not extensively trained, Glorfindel could say Harry or rather Elros is one of his best students.

His seeker reflexes and flawless eye sight made him a good fighter. He grew into an excellent archer and swordsman. He learned various healing techniques and proved to be a good healer. Learning about elven construction continued as the task required much on-field experience. He learned Quenya and Common tongue, although he could speak, read and write, he could never make riddles or literary work with that.

/* That's mostly because I could not. Writers fault. Not Harry's. And I think there is no part in Harry that wants to sing. :) */

His weapons and arms training always began in the morning, with a twenty-mile hike around the valley, followed by regular exercises, and lastly extensive training in various combat styles. He is a Dunedain but still, he had to gain a lot of stamina and strength to fight alongside the elves. He understood that the elves don't tire easily, but as a man, he had to save his energy. He had also grew agile; competing against elves all these years.

He would have his bath, then breakfast before going to his lessons. After they finish, he would have lunch with his family, especially Arwen. Afternoons are generally free, and he used that time to work on his magic. He pondered inside to recollect every spell, charm, curse he had read, heard or made. Though he was not very good at that, spending his time with Hermione in the hunt for Horcruxes made him hear and learn a lot of charms. Furthermore, charms proved easy without a wand than others, most of the defence against dark arts spells and curses required a wand.

After rigorous practice, his standard disarming and shielding spells worked. Transfiguration seemed easier compared to it, he thought that might be because having a standard teacher for all those years instead of those changing every year and working on them with an incompatible Ron's wand through years, but he had to put it out as it didn't seem totally logical.

Harry gave up thinking about that and enjoyed his new skill. He also found his power enhanced, and could not help but wonder why that is. There is a lot of elven magic surrounding him and middle earth was always emitting it. He had absorbed a lot, but his natural magic seemed more than doubled. He thought over that for long, soon coming to a conclusion that when he was in his world, Voldemort's Horcrux inside him plagued on his internal power, making him weaker. Now that he'd lost it, his magical core is at his full potential and made him stronger, which he enjoyed.

When he tried Apparition for the first few times, drawing a circle on the floor and remembering the three D's, even though he escaped slicing, it made huge, popping sounds. Not everyone enjoyed his magical trials due to the noise he causes before it works perfectly. So he had to beg pardons from several elves whose keen ears always caught such sounds.

He slowly, with practice, overcame that, thanks to his enhanced magic. He always proceeded to exercising with a lot of caution, thinking about what he wanted to perform thoroughly, and tested it little by little until he was able to do it. The patience he had learned from the elves came into use with that. But sometimes, he had to take risks.

He began practicing to try be an Animagus when Lord Elrond ordered he should not leave the valley until he is off age. As a child, it never mattered but as a growing teen, he always wanted to get a look at the outer world, enchanted by the stories told to him. His adoptive father and sister, though supported him for using his magic, remained strict on this matter and Harry never dared to cross their word.

However, the desire to venture into the outer world increased with each passing day, soon overwhelming him to the point where he knew he had to try and get out. He knew the dangers of trying to become an Animagus. He also doesn't possess a wand.

Nevertheless, Harry tried, he knew the process, knew the spells, but they all demanded the highest forms of concentration and determination. He had learned how to concentrate from his training in archery, which aided him. Evaluating the risk of becoming half an animal and dying of serious wounds, he concentrated hard to know his Animagus form.

At first, he was disappointed when he saw his Animagus was a Peregrine Falcon. He wished for something strong and powerful, like his father's stag or his godfather's large dog form. Why can't he get something like a large bear, tiger or maybe even a wolf? No matter, it would help him go out into the wild.

He finally achieved it and flew into air, quickly realizing that this is the most suitable form for him. He always wanted to fly, and he was a seeker that leapt on the flying snitch from great heights. He enjoyed the flight and his likeness for his Animagus rapidly increased.

The valley always had many birds, being a falcon, Harry could easily slip unnoticed. Using his tremendous speed, he could cover more distance in a shorter time. He envied Hedwig for having the thrill of flight, whom he missed dearly. However, he is now a bird.

He flew in the sky for a while before returning back to the homely house. He desperately wanted to tell Arwen of his new ability, but thought it would be better to keep it a little secret; a small private secret that could grant him little freedom.

He enjoyed his rides into the sky as a falcon, flying unnoticed by elves, roaming in the sky. However, he could not go too far for he feared the elves might find his absence and figure out his secret. Most of the time, he would look like practicing his bow or growing plants and suddenly vanish, swooping into the sky. His mentors thought he was observing the birds and enjoying the nature whenever they found him spending most of the time in the valley. Elves appreciate nature and encouraged others to do the same.

He felt guilty not to inform Arwen about his escapades, but revealing it might altogether stop him of his joy rides. He grew too fond of his mother like sister and brothers, so it was hard on him for not telling them about his achievement, but it would take him three more years to be allowed to go out of the valley.

Also, his brothers did a lot of travel, so he rarely saw them nowadays. Sometimes even his sister would travel, along with other maidens for some beauty products. So it didn't seem quite wrong to enjoy the liberty. He made a lot of friends among the birds while in his falcon form, who told him their stories of distant lands.

Bilbo almost completed his book, and Harry helped him with the drawings. Sometimes he would be writing when the halfling dictates the story or proof reading it, either way he was helping the old hobbit. Every once in a while he had to help him remember the story and all the little details.

Aragorn's short trips stopped altogether, to Harry's dislike, but he understood that as the chieftain of the rangers, the man has many responsibilities. He, meanwhile, tried to channel his magic through tree branches, sticks and various other items. Nothing worked. He thought as elven swords are magical, he could channel through one. But Glorfindel never allowed him to touch one.

Harry never saw Gandalf again, however, he did hear from the wizard that he intends to arrange a council at Rivendell about something important. He felt very enthusiastic about it, to see the wizard after such a long time and meeting new people. The boy waited eagerly for that, but days passed and the grey cloaked Maia didn't appear.

That didn't seem to bother the elves; they could wait for centuries for something to happen. Harry, on the other hand, didn't have immortality. Neither did he dare try to enter into the discussions of his father; he has much respect for him. So he waited, patiently for that.

One day, Arwen took out Asfaloth and ventured outside the valley along with a few elven messengers. Harry found it suspicious.

'Why should Arwen go out along with the messengers?' He thought.

Harry ran to ask her, but she left before he had the chance. Dejected and confused, he returned back to his room. Elladan and Elrohir were already far away from him, and now Arwen was gone, without telling him anything.

Suddenly, Harry became jealous of his sister, she could venture into distant lands, and he could not. He also wanted to know why she left without acknowledging him. He transformed into falcon and flew into the sky, determined to follow her.

Soon, the messengers spread out into different directions, but Harry kept with Arwen. Asfaloth was fast, but it could never out run a falcon. He kept high and flew alongside her, staying out of sight. She travelled for two days, along the hills and plain lands, entering an old forest early that morning.

"This is bad!" Harry cried, "This is very bad."

The falcon is not very effective inside dense forests, he would be slow and would have to travel low to avoid the trees, and would be caught spying. He didn't like that so he kept circling the sky thinking of ways to follow her. He grew even more suspicious on Arwen entering the old forest. The forest is dense and spread over a large area, Arwen could have gone anywhere.

'Now, how should I follow her? Should I go back?' Harry kept thinking, circling over the entrance of the forest, flying low.

Suddenly, a red hawk zoomed on him, thanks to his reflexes, he narrowly escaped any damage. The hawk flew high, Harry saw it swooping onto him once again, and again narrowly skipped the hawk.

"Why are you attacking me?" Harry asked the advancing hawk.

"You're intruding on my territory, you cannot hunt here. Leave or else you will become my lunch today," The hawk declared, zooming over him once again to gain speed and elevation.

"I'm not hunting, I am only here to find somebody. I didn't mean to trespass," Harry explained, flying close enough to the bird to be heard.

"If you are such a coward, young falcon, admit it and I may allow you to leave. This is my area and I don't allow others to hunt in it," The hawk offered, trying to intimidate the young falcon.

"I already told you, I am not hunting here and look, I am not even a falcon. This is my Animagus. I mean, wizard I am and I changed into this shape to follow somebody." Harry tried to reason.

"You are a good tale teller, falcon, but I am no fool to fall for that. This is your last warning, leave at once or I'll kill you," As he finished, the hawk advanced towards Harry.

However, Harry is a good diver, and dived deep to avoid the attacking hawk. They twisted and turned with the hawk always behind him, trying to drive him away from the forest. The falcon tried to reason with the bird, but the hawk wouldn't listen and continued on in its efforts to wound him. He was unable to go up, so to escape, he had to go down.

The ravens of the forest saw the two birds zooming towards their nests, which resulted in most the pack flying into the sky to confront the squabbling birds and save their homes. Harry saw the group of about twenty ravens, black as his hair, with pointed beaks and sharp claws, flying towards him.

'Oh great, I have a hawk on my back and now a flock of Ravens joined that', Harry thought.

He wanted to change back into his human form, but he was unable to slow down without the risk of being attacked and he didn't want to fall to his death. He needed a branch to fall on before changing back into his human form. Doing that in the sky, flying at more than a hundred miles per hour only leads to death.

He swiftly avoided the ravens flying into him, instead they ran into the hawk, who had a bad time facing them and got wounded. When the hawk flew higher up into the sky, so did Harry. Few ravens chased the wounded hawk, the remaining chased him. He tried to talk to them, but the ravens wouldn't listen to him either. After finally managing to escape most of the rabble, he spoke.

"Listen ravens! I am not after you, or your children. I'm looking for an elf riding a horse, that entered the forest not long ago. If you let me, I will leave as soon as I find her."

The hawk, which again got the altitude, relentlessly attacked Harry. The falcon hurt his pride and would suffer for that.

Harry, once again spoke, having escaped the attacks, "Listen you, hawk, you are wounded and in need of assistance. I won't harm you, I promise, I'm just passing by, you are unnecessarily tiring yourself."

"Oh, you said you were looking for somebody, and now state to pass by! You liar! You coward! You should be more of a chicken than a falcon. Shame on you, and the raptors like you! I will not allow you to exist and derogate raptor's pride," The hawk cursed, angrily.

Harry understood that talking had failed to function; he had to act. Having gotten the ravens below him, and the hawk above, he knew he had to think a strategy, and quick! The red bird attacked him with his claws, but the falcon unexpectedly turned to the other side and escaped. This worked effectively as the hawk was heavier, which meant he was slower.

So he made for the sky, speeding past the hawk, not stopping until he got quite far up. Harry then rocketed down, aiming for the offending bird, who could not meet the attack due to his wounds. He successfully removed a few feathers from the hawk's wing using his talons, making the bird lose some of his balance.

The hawk, having lost the advantage completely, retreated from the falcon, accepting his defeat. Harry then concentrated on the ravens, again reaching their level and repeatedly attacking them, dispersing the group into all directions. He had chances to kill them or hurt them, but he didn't, he merely disallowed them to form a united front.

The battle lasted for a while; both Harry and the ravens were growing extremely tired, soon settling down on the high branches as they gasped for breath. Harry too, dead tired of the battle, rested on a nearby branch. The seeming leader of ravens, his breathing having returned to normal, asked Harry.

"You had the upper hand in the battle, you could have killed a few of us, yet, you didn't. You could have killed that hawk and become the sole owner of the patch, and yet, you still didn't."

"That's because I don't mean any harm, to any of you. I am looking for an elf, she entered the forest from here, and I was thinking of ways to follow her without being detected. I would leave as soon as I found out a way to track her again."

"If that is your word, falcon, my flock would have the task done for you. However, you must not harm any of us, or our children," The leader stated.

"You will have no trouble from me, thank you" Harry thanked.

The birds left in search of the elf, Harry on the other hand, morphed into his human form, after making certain that nobody was watching. He quickly apparated to his room back in Rivendell, feeling very tired and thinking the elves might have noticed his absence. Fortunately, he just managed to appear just as Narien opened his door

"Where have you been, Lord Elros? We were looking for you, and, why are you so tired?" Narien, his mentor, asked him.

"I was running and playing in the trees," Harry presented skilfully a white lie. "I grew tired and hungry so I thought it was best I'd return."

"Yes, you should, though you should eat something before resting, don't want you wandering to the kitchens in the middle of the night," Narien advised, adding, "Next time don't lose yourself in play, you are growing up."

Harry went to the kitchen, taking an apple and some sugary treats, scarfing them down quickly. He then departed to his room for some well-earned rest, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was away for a little more than two days, and his mentors were surprisingly satisfied with his explanation.

Two days was no time to elves as they don't require much food or rest, however, he needs that. He was flying for two days with little rest because elven horses require less rest than regular ones, Arwen should be a good two hundred miles from here. He was tired and hence has to rely on the ravens on this issue.

Harry woke up the next morning and Glorfindel personally took him to practice. After his breakfast, he escaped unnoticed to the gardens so he could apparate to the forest grounds, where he would find the ravens. He then changed back into his falcon form before entering the forest so he wouldn't scare off the birds. He landed on a high branch, near the ravens, which were alert to his presence and formed a group around him.

"Good morning. What news do you have on the elf?" Harry asked the leader of the group.

Sceptical about the well-mannered falcon, the leader of Ravens spoke in a serious tone, "As promised, we followed the elf. We still hold her path and found that she travelled deep into the forest; I have sent my brothers to follow her. They're moving with her as we speak, and have yet to return. They were expected to return last night, but they didn't." Then, fear appeared in his demeanour. "I fear there is evil lurking here. Riders in black are terrorizing the paths. They cause fear; they travel in shadows, make the forest sick. I fear for my brothers that I have sent. Does the elf have any business to do with them?" The leader spoke in a shaken voice.

"Elves are protectors of nature and forest. She has no business with those evil riders. Like me, she belongs to Rivendell," Harry replied.

"You are guarding her then," The leader mused, "You speak and move differently to a bird, falcon. What is your name?"

"Tell me your name, good raven and I will give you mine," Harry bargained.

Not wanting to start a fight again, the leader spoke, "I am Roshack, the leader of this group of ravens."

"I am Harry, a wizard," He said, nodding.

To prove this, he changed into his normal form before changing back into a falcon. The ravens were utterly bewildered, they were terrified of this wizard bird, as a result, everybody flew away from him.

"Well done Harry!" He muttered, quiet enough so no one else heard.

It was then he heard horse's gallops and turned his head in that direction. There Arwen was, riding Asfaloth with a little child wrapped in a blanket, being chased by nine black cloaked riders. The young boy, his skin a sickly pale colour, looked as though he was suffering from deep pain. He looked as if he could pass out any time soon.

Bloody Merlin! Harry thought, following her.

Arwen was bringing a child, like him, protecting him from the dark riders. He felt ashamed to follow his sister, feeling so low to doubt his sister who was everything to him. Suddenly, he felt cold, fear grew in his heart. His body stiffened; he looked back to identify the source of his this reaction.

The nine riders were coming closer, and it was then he could feel the foul and evil they brought with them. Swiftly turning aside, he flew out of their way, landing on a far of branch, being utterly terrorized on seeing the riders run after his sister. It made his blood boil; immediately, he went after Arwen, flying low to guard her back.

The riders were gaining speed, despite Asfaloth being very fast and going at his quickest. There was something dark about the rider's horses, they were full of bad magic, a shadow of fear and helplessness surrounded them. The air and land turned sick where they strode, Harry knew only one way to face such necromancy, his patronus. He had not tried that, as it was advanced; and he lacked his wand.

However, he was in a situation that he'd do anything to save Arwen from these riders. He morphed back in his human form, standing in the path between his sister and the riders, bewildering them at seeing a boy suddenly jumping into their way. Nobody would stand in between Nazguls and its prey. They continued towards him as Harry cried.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A white dense vapor formed around him, spreading in all directions. It stopped the approaching riders, but Harry couldn't do anything else. Feeling dejected that his magic failed at a time of need, and seeing the evil rise and hunt his family, he grew utterly furious. The vapor slowly vanished; the nine riders cloaked in black as dark as their souls, rode to kill him.


	8. Chapter 8

_A big thanks to all who reviewed and an equally big thanks to Sparrowbirdy for making my story more readable._

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Chapter 8

Harry's body trembled and every blood vessel in his body bulged. His heart beat doubled and blood boiled in his veins. There are two ways to face fear and coldness. It could be done with peace and understanding, or with anger.

The riders imposed fear on anyone who came across them. Harry was irritated with the threat they posed on his sister, no one would harm his sister. Magic spurt all around him and the riders stopped, sensing the magical outburst.

Harry's eyes were fixed on the riders; his fists were clenched so tight that they turned pale. His face was red, portraying his molten blood. The wind gathered speed from his magical vibrations as a thick light began enveloping Harry, startling the riders.

What in Sauron's name is this? They thought.

The witch king sensed the magic and wanted to face the boy, but he could not move. No matter how hard he tried, he could move no more than a dead elf. They wanted to go away, they wanted to attack the boy, but they couldn't do anything. They felt like sheep caught hold by a troll.

The wind turned into a gale and all the sand and clay and stone rose into the sky. The bright day sky turned dark but the Nazgul felt no relief in the darkness. Arwen, sensing the gale, stopped and turned back to see what was happening.

She saw her brother confronting the Nazgul and was on the verge of bursting. Dust and sand filled the air; the wind blew it all around her.

"Harry!" She called, what was her brother doing here?

The riders spoke in an odd language and their voices were threatening and Harry lost all his poise with that. His heart beat raced against time, every nerve felt like high voltage transmission lines, eyes focused and every muscle twitched in his body.

Suddenly, a hundred metric ton rock fell on the top of the black riders from a hundred feet height, squashing all of them - along with their horses - to death.

Arwen turned back to Harry, when she reached him he was still trembling with anger and concentrating on the black riders to see if any had been left unbroken. The wind had not yet stopped. She dismounted her horse and shook him. Harry looked at her before hugging her.

Seeing such evil beings hunt his sister terrified him, he was very protective over her. She was the light to his darkness, and in no circumstances would let her suffer. Anybody with a wish to hurt her would have to go through him first.

He cooled down and looked at the boy wrapped in blankets, hunched over the horse. He was no boy, but a hobbit. Arwen was saying something but all he could hear was a muffled voice; blood and adrenaline still rushing down his body.

"Who's this?" He asked.

"Frodo Baggins," She replied, "The witch king struck him with a Morgul blade and unless we help him, he will pass into the shadows."

Harry dragged the hobbit off the horse before taking the hand of his bewildered sister. She felt a tight squeeze and all of a sudden, she was in the healing rooms of Imladris, holding Harry's hand, who was carrying the hobbit on his shoulder.

The healers heard a huge "pop" sound and looked in that direction that it came from, finding Harry along with Lady Arwen and a sick child wrapped in blankets in the boy's arms.

"What happened?" They questioned.

"He was stabbed by a Morgul-blade," Arwen told them, adding, "By the witch-king of Angmar."

Harry thought she would have vomited if she wasn't an elf. Apparition is not a very nice experience. But he has other things in his mind. He was unsure how to inform this to Bilbo Baggins. A messenger was sent to call Lord Elrond. All were anxious about the hobbit; getting pierced by a Morgul blade is no small issue.

Why was Frodo in the forest? Why was he stabbed by the evil witch king? Harry thought; when he saw a golden ring around Frodo's neck.

He could sense that the ring was special; his eyes lingered on it until the healers began to push him out of the room. He protested, saying he was learning and he didn't want to miss this lesson. Harry knew the witch king of Arnor was responsible for the fall of the kingdoms, Arnor and Gondor.

Arwen took Harry to a corner, before asking, "How did you come there? What have you done?"

"I can't stay calm when dark beings attack my sister," Harry replied in a strong tone," If they want to harm you, they would have to face me."

Arwen kissed Harry on his forehead and he hugged her. It was then he remembered about a certain creature.

"Asfaloth!" He cried, pulling away from his sister before apparating.

Asfaloth ran frantically around in circles, not knowing what happened, or where his owner had disappeared to. Harry reappeared, beckoning the horse over to him.

The horse turned towards Harry, replying to his call by cantering over. He mounted the horse, with the thought of apparating it as well but horses won't react well for such stressful events and he might end up losing his teeth, stuck in the face by its hind hooves.

So he decided to ride the horse back to the valley, despite knowing it would take him two days to reach home. He looked back at the huge rock and smiled to himself.

Those were no men and horse. Evil made and bred them, and, from where did the rock fall on them?

He knew magical bursts are uncontrollable and wizards do many things in such a rush, but conjuring a heavy rock and dropping it over those dark spirits was impressive as well as amusing. He wondered how he could have done that; maybe his magical burst that caused the gale transfigured all the sand and clay into a huge rock and he dropped it on their heads.

He rode all the way back, stopping only when a green patch appeared for the horse to eat and rest. During the way, he could not help but think about Arwen and Frodo.

Was Frodo safe? He thought to himself.

He was relieved that he was not the one who broke the news to old Bilbo; he pondered about the many possibilities and ended up thinking about the ring.

"Frodo wore a chain and a golden ring," He told the grazing Asfaloth, "People wear rings on their fingers, not around necks. But I don't think that is a normal ring. There is some weird magic around it, however, the magic is concealed from my view but I can tell the magic is dark and evil. Why would Frodo wear such a ring of dark magic?"

It occurred to him that the witch king and his friends were after the ring and stabbed Frodo while attempting to retrieve it. That sounded reasonable. The witch king and his eight fellow riders respond only to the dark lord Sauron.

The witch king had invaded and destroyed the kingdom of Arnor but all the nine fallen kings of men could be brought together only by the dark lord Sauron. So he had sent his minions to get Frodo, or to get him the ring.

Was that the one ring of Sauron? Was that the ring that brought doom to Isildur?

The ring has a very dark magic around it, Harry had seen such magic before, he has even faced things like that ring and destroyed them.

It was a horcrux.

The **ring** is a horcrux.

With this new piece of information, he raced back home.

Lord Elrond along with several healers saved Frodo from passing into the shadows. It took the best efforts from all of them to heal the young hobbit. After Frodo was done and left to rest, the brown-haired elf commanded the healers and the guards.

"How was it that no guard in Imlardis informed me when Frodo Baggins was brought in?"

The guards trembled at that as they never saw how the hobbit was brought.

"He was brought by Lady Arwen and Lord Elros, my lord," A healer, Tarakel, replied, "We were here, checking the stocks when we heard a sound that Lord Elros always made and saw the sick hobbit in his hands. We quickly rested him on a bed and started the procedure. We wanted the young lord to be away from the sick hobbit as we tended to him but he insisted to be around and learn."

"Where is he now?" Lord Elrond asked, looking deep into Tarakel's eyes.

"He disappeared, my lord," She answered, adding, "Lady Arwen took him aside for a little talk and then, he vanished. The guards might have seen him."

The guards, not knowing what to do, spoke their excuse before their lord could reprimand them for lousy, defective duty.

"We have been guarding the gates and every entrance my Lord, but we have seen young lord Elros neither enter nor leave them. We don't know how he did that."

"Perhaps you can explain, Arwen. Come with me," Elrond ordered, Arwen followed him obediently.

"Harry is capable of doing magic, Ada. He told us that if he had seen a place, he could go there in the blink of an eye if he wished," Arwen revealed, continuing, "That is what caused the horrible popping sounds. He had brought Frodo and me in the same way from the forest. When Frodo was undergoing treatment, he remembered leaving Asfaloth behind and disappeared, more than likely to bring him back."

Arwen spoke nervously; elves are so composed that they seldom get nervous. But she was worried about her father getting angry at Harry.

"That explains something, however, it brings up more questions," Elrond said, asking, "Why were you riding Asfaloth so far from home? Where did you find Frodo?"

"I had a dream, Ada. I cannot say if it was a dream or a vision, but in that, I saw Aragorn attacking the wraiths of Mordor at Amon Sul," Arwen explained taking a deep breath to calm herself and continued, "I wanted to check if that was true, if Aragorn was safe. So I rode Asfaloth towards Amon Sul but on my way I came across the small group. That is why I was so far from home without word and how I found Frodo."

"So you thought it was a good idea to leave home with your brother, who I obviously have to remind you is still a child, and without telling anybody," Lord Elrond scolded, "Why did Lord Glorfindel not inform me of this insane activity happening right under my nose?"

"Harry did not come with me, and I'm honestly not sure how he found out where I was," Arwen said, "Lord Glorfindel didn't know I had taken Asfaloth, or left for that matter. I did not want to worry you on something I was not sure of, so I didn't inform you."

"Look at what have you become, Arwen! You stole a steed and kept your father in the dark of your intentions," Elrond rebuked, "I do not appreciate this, neither expect it from you! And why couldn't you have taken my horse?"

What had happened to his daughter? Had she turned insane? She stole a horse and escaped to face the fallen kings!

"Asfaloth is very spirited, swift and brave. He was the best available among all the charges," Arwen replied, "I knew he would keep me safe. I haven't asked Lord Glorfindel because I knew he would always be happy to give his mount to a right cause."

"And what is the right cause?"

"To find out whether this was true and save Frodo Baggins." Arwen said.

"You didn't know that when you left for Amon Sul," Elrond sighed heavily, "With each day you raise the child, you are turning more and more childish. What you have done is terribly wrong. As the Lord of Imladris, I forbid you to travel without my knowledge and consent. Go back to your room and before that, I want you to apologize to Lord Glorfindel properly."

Arwen left her father and went to meet Lord Glorfindel to apologize for borrowing his horse without asking.

Gandalf, who reached Imlardis the day before and had been watching the hobbit while he was tended to, looked at the flustered Elrond and with a gentle smile

"I would not have handled the issue any better, Lord Elrond. But you must realize that Arwen is a woman and a woman has a gift of intuition. Those with their hearts as pure and white as the morning snow, like her, always possess the gift to know things that could happen to their loved ones. You could see the future too, but it is not concerned with a particular person. It deals with the entire middle earth. I think she obtained this trait from her grandmother."

The wizard stopped for a moment, glancing at the door that Arwen had departed.

"She has yet to realize that nature of her gift. Yes, I could not help but wonder at her infantile act. T hat was rather instinctive for an elf, but who can understand a woman. No one can know what a woman would do when guided by her love as it is her love for Aragorn that forced her to seek him. You have heard and seen things like these Elrond, and you needn't worry anymore for your daughter. However, about your youngest son, you should."

Elrond mused over the kind words of wisdom, settling down before speaking.

"You are right, Mithrandir, it isn't something new, but regarding Arwen, she had never done anything least comparable to this. She always was so well behaved, even as a little child. But this is something so unlike her."

"Love changes any person," Gandalf said, patting Lord Elrond's shoulder.

"From what I've heard, it's quite an unusual form of travel your children made. But for now, we should think of young Elros riding in unknown parts with Ring wraiths on his back. Send his trainer, the bravest of all, Lord Glorfindel on his pursuit. His horse would listen to his command more than the boy's."

Nodding curtly, Elrond sent a nearby guard to bring Lord Glorfindel. He kept thinking about the ways his child could be saved for he worried the wraiths had captured him. But in his heart, he felt no such worry is necessary. If the child could travel that long a distance in a second, there is no way he could get caught.

Lord Glorfindel appeared shortly after, tilting his head in respect.

"Lord Glorfindel, I apologize on my daughter's behalf for your mount," Lord Elrond begun, "I have called you to fetch my boy back here as he has gone out in a rather unusual manner and I don't want him to come to any harm. The wretched Ulairi are after him and I am sure, for now, he has met no harm. Though your steed is with him, I could not stop worrying. Make haste and bring back my boy."

"You need not worry about any harm, from what I've gathered from Lady Arwen, he has dealt with them. He should be on route; however, I will still go and guide him here for he has no knowledge of the outer world." Glorfindel spoke.

Hearing that his child is out of danger, Elrond let out a deep sigh.

"Elros makes Estel seem like a good boy. I wonder how he challenged the nine riders."

"Yes. No seventeen summer's boy could take on all the Nazgul. But he is your student after all. As Frodo is safe now, I would listen to the tale as well." Gandalf put in.

"From what Lady Arwen told me," Glorfindel said, "She was riding away from the Ulairi, when a gale began to brew. In the middle of it was Elros, who stood between her and the riders. Only moments later after calling his name out did a huge boulder fall and crush them."

Elrond didn't know what to say whereas Gandalf chuckled on hearing that.

"Very amusing, squashing the Nazgul with a rock. But there were no hills or rocks between Weather top and Rivendell. Where did he get that rock?"

"I'm not sure," Glorfindel told the wizard, "As soon as he is home and safe we will find out."

He bowed again before leaving, quickly making it to the stables and gathering necessary items. Minutes later he rushed, galloping out of Rivendell.

* * *

Elrond walked towards his daughter's room thinking along the way how to console her. He entered her room after knocking, and saw Arwen looking into distant mountains that rose in the horizon.

"Iell!"

Arwen turned to see him and slowly walked towards him.

"I am sorry Ada," Arwen apologised before her father could say anything, tears rolling out of her beautiful eyes.

She looked down, guilt covering her face.

"I realize how much worry I have brought into you but I strongly felt a desire to go and be with Aragorn. I was so terrified after what I saw. I could not keep still and went along with the elven messengers towards Amon Sul," Arwen rushed out, her father just managing to catch every word, "There I realized what I have seen is true and I was required there, not for Aragorn but for Frodo, if not brought at the earliest he would pass into shadows and become a wraith himself. I now know I should have told you, it didn't occur to me then how much worry I was causing you. I didn't mean it, but didn't think about it. I am really sorry Ada."

"It's alright, Arwen, but please inform me if you have such visions in the future for I will help you. I already have to deal with your young hanar; don't make it hard on this old elf. Speak to me, what you want and if it is legitimate, I will definitely help...you know it, don't you, Arwen?" Elrond asked.

"Yes Ada, I know." Arwen said and they both talked for some time, recollecting her childhood and mischief of Elrohir and Elladan.

"Ada, what would happen to Harry when he returns?" Arwen asked her father.

"I will definitely appreciate his efforts to keep you safe, Arwen, as your brother, it is his duty. But I will have to know first how he had found you and what had he done with the ring wraiths. I should be stern, though, lest he should be careless and imprudent. Every day is a lesson for him and he should learn it all." Elrond replied.

He spent the remaining of the day with his daughter.

Harry travelled swiftly to reach home but Asfaloth was tired and required rest. So he allowed the horse to graze and rest as he sat by the shade of a tree, thinking about Frodo and Arwen.

How frightened she must've been? But still she was composed and alert. She would definitely be a Gryffindor.

Harry began to wondered why Frodo was travelling alone, or what he was even doing out here. How did the hobbit even come across the ring? Was it Bilbo's old ring? Could the hobbit feel the dark magic?

Harry was deeply hurt by that thought. He felt sorry for the hobbit for he knew the perils of dealing with Horcruxes. Dumbledore had got cursed and Ginny had to suffer in the chamber of secrets. He hated them.

He should destroy the ring before it can cause further harm to the surrounding people. Harry laughed aloud when he thought Ginny should have thought the same when she raided his bed in his second year.

Thinking that made him sad too, it has been twelve years and he is still missing her. She should have married and had children. Would they be gingers too? And who would her husband be? Maybe Victor Krum or Neville Longbottom, or someone he didn't know.

He was sure Ron and Hermione should be married and had children too. He smiled at the thought of imagining kids with Ron's freckled face and Hermione's hair, or vice versa.

He rested for a while and when the dusk turned into twilight, he once again mounted the horse and hurried home.

He travelled all night and met Lord Glorfindel in the morning, who he was very happy to see. Glorfindel was happy too, but didn't say anything.

"How are Frodo and Arwen?" Harry asked, ignoring the language.

"Frodo is out of harm, but needs rest. Lady Arwen is fine."

He led Harry in silence after that, towards the ford of Bruinen and from there, they reached Imladris.

"Riding Asfaloth was great. He is very fast." Harry suddenly told the elf, patting the steed as to talk soemthing.

"Go. Have your wash and eat something. Lord Elrond wishes to see you." Glorfindel said in a stern tone.

Harry understood he was in trouble but kept quiet and followed his trainer's orders. On the breakfast table, he could see the elves glancing at him like it was his last time here and he realized he was in a very big trouble.

He knew it'd be best to speak the truth and beg guilty to escape some of his punishment. As soon as he finished his breakfast he went to meet his father. He was amused to see Mithrandir to be present among Erestor the wise and Lord Glorfindel.

"Good morning, young Elros." Gandalf spoke.

"Good morning, Mithrandir sir. I am very happy to see you after a long time. You haven't appeared in these years and I thought you would never return."

"How can I not come back after listening to your feats?" Gandalf said with a smile.

Harry took it as a sign to speak the truth before he was accused of anything. His father is kind and would reduce the punishment if he told him the truth before.

"Ada, I would like to tell you something, er, something I have done recently. I know you always encourage me to do things I like, but I am sorry I have not informed you about that. Can I speak to you now?" Harry said looking between his father and his trainer.

"Go ahead!" Elrond permitted.

"You know, wizards could be Animagus, not all wizards, but only those who has recognized their inner animal and has the prowess to realize it. I have achieved Animagus, recently."

"What does this Animagus do?" Elrond asked, keenly interested.

"It's a wizard who can turn into an animal," Harry explained, "Wizards could transfigure others or even themselves to become certain animals, but it requires different spells. Animagus is the inherent animal that the wizard is mostly like. They can easily change back between the animal form and their actual human form."

"You mean a skin changer?" Gandalf asked.

"Yes, mostly similar. Only difference being is the wizard keeps his mind in the animal form too. Beorn changes to a big bear, I change into a Peregrine Falcon." Harry spoke "Would you like to see it?"

Elrond did not know what to, he expected some reason for his attempt to save his sister and he got altogether a new thing.

"Are you sure it does not harm you or any others?" Erestor questioned.

"Of course!" Harry said.

"Then show us." Glorfindel said.

Harry took a deep breath and only a few moments later he changed into his falcon form, flying over their heads. After a few circles of the room, he changed back to his original form.

"So this is how you tracked your sister." Glorfindel said.

"Yes sir. I saw Arwen go with the messengers on Asfaloth and felt both envious and suspicious of that. I was the only one to not set foot outside. So I changed into falcon form and managed to keep up with her without being caught," Harry answered truthfully, "Then I became unhappy on spying my sister and wished to turn back and wait till she speaks about it. But then I saw some evil riders attack her. I tried to stop them using my magic but it failed to function properly. I thought I might lose her because of my inability to protect her. I think it was due to my anger and frustration that I had a magic burst and the nine riders ended up dead."

"Dead! They were already dead. The wraiths must have lost their physical form, but they would go back to their master." Gandalf said.

"How long has it been since you realized you could change into a falcon?" Glorfindel asked.

"It has been a little time, sir." Harry answered.

"I want a precise answer." Glorfindel demanded.

"About a year, sir," Harry said looking at the floor guiltily; he did not want to face his father or his mentor.

"And you did not find time to tell us all this year." Elrond said.

Tears rolled out of Harry's eyes and he slowly said.

"I was exploring the possibilities of being a falcon. I could go around the valley and see new places. I was afraid if I told you about that, I would lose the chance to go out."

"What you have done is not at all good, Elros. I only refrain you from going out of the valley for your own safety. I am not imprisoning you here. You have to be fully prepared to face anything before I can send you out," Elrond scolded, "And you aren't even seventeen summers and you don't know what to decide in case of any adversity. There are many bad things in the world and it takes great prudence to understand and act accordingly. You will have the opportunity when you are twenty one summers old, if I think you are prudent enough or if I am sure you can take your own decisions. But you breached my trust, Elros."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologised, still unable to look into his father's eyes.

"What you have done is wrong and to make you remember it, you should be disciplined." Glorfindel told him.

There was a long silence; Harry looked pleadingly at his trainer.

"However, since you have told us and expressed your guilt before we could ask, also as your actions caused no harm to either you or others, your punishment would not be so severe," Glorfindel told him.

"You shall be cleaning all the halls of Imladris for a month, your lessons will be increased and your play time would be decreased by two hours. Also, you would begin the physical training an hour early and continue 'till the usual time."

"That should suffice him for his act. I appreciate your effort to save Arwen, but you should always inform elders before you venture into your adventures." Elrond said.

"I understand Ada. I want to speak something else too." Harry said.

Not aware of what surprise awaits, Elrond gestured Harry to say it.

Harry took a deep breath and said, "About the ring Frodo Baggins wears, I want that ring."

* * *

_I am happy for the reviews. I think I have responded to a few, personally thanking. For those anonymous reviews, I am answering here._

_Harry was a five year old boy till chapter six and I think I have reasonably portrayed his behavior then._

_Regarding the matter of pairing, harry is not yet adult and he had not seen any world. I will make sure he doesnot appear disinclined to the opposite sex. But I have no suitable person to pair Harry with in this story._

_I hope you all enjoy my story. Thank you. Have a good time at fanfiction._


	9. Chapter 9

A very special Thanks to Sparrowbirdy for the support provided.

Reading guide: Thoughts- Italicized text

Sindarin - Regular text

Westron - Bold.

* It will change with the next chapters as the fellowship begins to travel.

I am going to be busy for a few weeks and the next update would be a little slow. Thanks for reading the story.

* * *

Chapter 9

Harry's words reverberated in that ostentatious room. Everyone in the room, shocked to the core on hearing those words, especially Elrond who was terribly moved as he knew the effect the ring could have on mortal men. In the very few moments Isildur had his hands on that horrible thing, he lusted it and turned against him, his friend, on the matter of destroying it. Now his son had given in to it.

There was a long silence in the room. Harry kept thinking about it. Erestor first broke the silence.

"The ring is neither ours to give nor yours to take, Lord Elros. It belongs to Frodo Baggins."

Glorfindel seconded it, "It is no good to ask for others things Elros."

"Then I will ask Frodo Baggins himself. From the moment I saw it, I was thinking nothing else but that it cannot be with Frodo." Harry told them, determinedly.

'_Oh Eru, What had that wretched thing made my son. How should I save him?'_ Elrond thought as all the horrors of the past surrounded him. He could not speak. He knows not what to speak.

"Why do you want it for, young Elros?" Gandalf asked, kindness overflowing his eyes.

'_The ring is treacherous; it has already consumed this young fae. Only through the power of love can the power of ring could be overthrown. I had taken that effect off of Bilbo, I can take it out of this child_', Gandalf thought.

"You may think I am delirious, but still, I should speak what I think," Harry started, "I want to destroy it. The ring is a Horcrux and should be destroyed."

Elrond was relieved on hearing this. _'The ring has no effect on his child. Elros, like himself, understood the insidious nature of the ring and wants to destroy it. My son is safe. He is wise like his father.'_ Elrond immediately grabbed his boy and hugged him tightly.

Gandalf was surprised to see the normally phlegmatic elf to express such a high emotion. But he didn't think much about it. It is a very big relief for any. Instead he thought, _'what is this child! He constantly overwhelms me. What does he know about the ring to declare it evil? '_

Elrond moved back to his seat, regaining his composure and Harry looked confused at it. Gandalf cleared his throat and said, "You said something called Ho-ro-co-rox. What does that mean?"

"It is Horcrux sir. I haven't had the time to examine it thoroughly, but in the little time I had to see it, I judged it as a Horcrux, based on my experiences." Harry said.

"Experiences?" Glorfindel asked.

"Yes, lord Glorfindel, Experiences from my past." Harry said.

"All right, explain this horcrux thing." Glorfindel asked.

"It is, um, complicated. In simple terms, everybody has a soul, fae. A person lives as long as his fae is in his body, any corporal body. When a person's body, hroa, can no longer accommodate the fae, it escapes and the person dies. And as long as a person's fae is within a hroa or any other corporeal, um, entity, the person lives."

"When a wizard wants to live for eternity, or remain invulnerable, he parts his fae and places it in some well protected thing, er, like this ring. Such a thing is called Horcrux."

"As long the horcrux remains, the fae of the wizard remains bounded to Earth, er, Arda and the wizard remains."

Gandalf appreciated, "Well done Elros! I really must appreciate your knowledge. So you really know something about this."

"Yes Mithrandir sir, I know a little about these." Harry replied.

"How come you know about '**these**', Elros?" Erestor questioned.

"That's mostly because I was given a task to destroy them." Harry said curtly. "Dealing with them and carrying them all around, I know I could recognize one when I see such things."

"You speak in plural, young Elros." Erestor pointed.

"Err, Yes sir, I spoke about a dark lord named Voldemort when I was little, if you remember. He made seven such things." Harry answered.

"Seven! How could he make those many?" Gandalf exclaimed.

"To make a Horcrux sir, one has to do something terrible, something so devastating that kills all the good in them. That makes that one so abominable, that no good can appear around. When such a heinous act is committed, the fae suffers greatly and sunders. It could no longer reside in that body and desperately tries to fly away. Then, using evil magic, the wizard captures the fae shards and forces them into something. Then he locks the thing and makes all kind of deceptive enchantments on it so it remains infrangible."

"So did you destroy those?" Glorfindel asked curiously.

"By the time I fell sir, I made sure all the seven were destroyed. That made him mortal and weak." Harry responded.

"How did you destroy them, master Elros? From what you said, they should be very strong to undo." Erestor questioned.

"There are not many ways to destroy those, Lord Erestor. From my knowledge, they were destroyed by the strongest of the venoms through a very strong fang or by undying fires. The creator of the Horcrux can also destroy them, as he is the one who made it." Harry said recollecting and being as precise as possible. The Gryffindor sword absorbed the qualities of the Basilisk and thus is capable of destroying Horcruxes.

"Marvellous! You clearly stand high with such knowledge, Master Elros." Gandalf exclaimed and laughed heartily.

"That is why I want to destroy it. The ring could have done more harm to Frodo Baggins already and the longer it remains, the greater it harms." Harry stated.

"But you don't have the means to destroy that." Glorfindel pointed. "You possess neither the venom nor such undying fire."

"I will search till the ends of Arda for ways to destroy it, my lord Glorfindel. It is very hard to be with such things and nobody can bear such pain for long. As I had already experienced its effects, I will carry it with me and destroy it using any possible way. It cannot be kept hidden. It damages everything where it resides." Harry urged.

"Do you think Frodo Baggins wears it as an accessory Elros? He brought it as I asked it to be brought here. The ring belongs to middle earth and in no time, a council is going to be held here at Imladris to seek ways to destroy it. You can remain at peace, young master Elros. The ring will be destroyed." Gandalf said.

"And, you won't interfere in it. I recognize you have vast knowledge and experience, still, this is not your task and you are in no way connected to it. This is the task of us elders and children like you should keep out of it." Elrond said.

"But," Harry began to speak.

"You are already grounded and you will not intervene in this. Go back to your room, eat and rest well. You will do as your teacher said. No more discussion on this." Elrond declared.

With no way of speaking anything, Harry went back to his room.

"He has suffered greatly Mithrandir. I cannot allow him to suffer more." Elrond said to Gandalf and the council continued on various other issues.

"**We will be reaching Rivendell by the noon.**" Aragorn announced to the worried Hobbits and that instantly brought glow in their faces.

"**Do you really think Mr. Frodo will be safe there, Strider?**" Sam asked for the hundredth time.

"**You have asked it many times and I have confirmed it all the times. That is the safest house and with best healers in these parts. Frodo is already safe.**" Aragorn confirmed it once again.

"**Of course Sam, you saw the elf relieve him of the pain and carried him. He might already be healed and perhaps waiting for us. We should hurry.**" Merry exclaimed.

"**But she has all the nasty riders on her back. We don't know if she had reached Rivendell.**" Sam sounded worried.

"**THAT IS NO NORMAL ELF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SAMWISE GAMGEE.** **She is Arwen, the daughter of Elrond himself and is many times faster than the wraiths. She would be safe and as Frodo is with her, he remains safe.**" Aragorn shouted on Sam.

Sam, intimidated by Aragorn stiffened and lowering his head, made fast across the group.

"**I am sorry I have shouted on you Master Gamgee. I know you are really worried about your friend. You have never seen any such thing and trusting someone you have never seen with your friend's life is very hard. But trust me. I am a ranger in these parts who dealt with many such situations and don't say something if I don't know it.**" Aragorn said. Assured, Sam smiled and continued walking.

'_I hope you are all safe and happy Arwen_' Aragorn thought.

They walked across the narrow paths and turns with exhilaration and soon spotted the glowing valley of Rivendell. "**Rivendell!**" The three hobbits yelled and ran towards the main gates. Aragorn laughed at them and kept up with them and reached the gates before them. The guards welcomed him and his companions and Aragorn quickly asked one of the guards, "How is the Halfling?"

"You are unclear Aragorn; there are two Halflings inside and three outside. Who do you mean?" The guard said mockingly.

"I am not in a mood for your jokes, Malaia. How is Frodo Baggins?" Aragorn sounded angry.

"He is safe. He is yet to fully recover and is sleeping. Lord Elrond has personally healed him and with Mithrandir here, he is all out of danger. He is still very weak though." The guard Malaia said.

"**You see master Gamgee, the guard just said Frodo is safe and is resting.**" Aragorn said and the hobbits jumped and danced on hearing that.

"These are really merry folk." Malaia said. Aragorn smiled in reply and led the three Hobbits towards healing rooms. They saw Frodo on the bed, covered in bandages and were totally relieved. Aragorn explained to them all the healing Frodo should have got and asked the hobbits to allow him to rest.

"**Very well, Now that our hearts are happy and filed on seeing Frodo, it is time for our stomachs to feel the same.**" Pippin declared and Merry laughed at that.

"**You go eat. I will stay with Mr. Frodo.**" Sam said.

"**No. Frodo rests here. We have to go meet Lord Elrond and thank him first. Then I will take you to the dining. You are not staying away Sam**." Aragorn said.

Feeling the need to thank his friends Saviour, Sam followed Merry and Pippin. When they entered Rivendell, they were anxious to meet Frodo. Now that they had seen their friend happily resting, they began noticing the grand nature of the house. Everything appeared so rich and carefully constructed, that they lost themselves. It was an experience beyond words for them.

Erestor, who was monitoring the daily activity, greeted Aragorn, "Good to see you Aragorn."

Aragorn replied, "Good to see you too, Lord Erestor the wise. May I meet Lord Elrond now? My friends wish to express their gratitude to the lord."

"You have not changed Aragorn. I see you and your friends are very tired. Have a bath and pray eat something. The lord will meet you at the dining." Erestor said with a smile.

"**What language you speak Aragorn, I don't understand a single word.**" Pippin complained. "**That's Sindarin, Pippin. You saw Aragorn speak to the lady in the forest and then with the guards. That's elf language.**" Merry quickly corrected.

"**I am sorry I have not greeted you, young masters. I, Erestor, welcome you to Rivendell. I am sorry I may not be able to stay with you for long. Aragorn will guide you through the halls and please be free. Rest well.**" Saying that, Erestor glided down the halls.

Aragorn said, "**We can have a wash now and then we would go to the dining to meet Lord Elrond.**"

"**Very good. I would really welcome a wash and that increases one's appetite.**" Pippin said, raising a finger like he has a very great idea.

Aragorn led them to the washrooms and the hobbits played for some time in there. Aragorn relaxed himself in the steaming bath and the elves gave them fresh clothes. The Hobbits wanted to play there for some time as they missed their daily wash in the travel. Aragorn said he would wait outside in the corridor and they can come out when they are finished. As he knew it would take some good time, he strolled across the corridor, remembering the old days. After sometime, hunger overcoming their desire to play in the warm water, the Hobbits quickly dressed in their new clothes and walked out. They found Aragorn and dragged him out to reach the dining.

When they reached the dining room, they found Lord Elrond (as he is leading the table), Lord Erestor, Lady Arwen and a young boy at a head table, standing.

Aragorn quickly said, "I am sorry to keep you waiting. These are my friends Meriadoc Brandybuck, Samwise Gamgee and Peregrine Took." When they heard their names, the Hobbits understood they were being introduced and bowed to the Lord of Imlardis. The elves looked great and glowing. They looked at the elves in awe and wonder.

"**Please take your seats and eat to your heart content. We are very happy to have you here with us.**" Elrond said, waving his hand horizontally to show them the table. "**We will shortly be joined by Gandalf the grey and Mr. Bilbo Baggins.**" The hobbits shouted in joy on hearing Bilbo's name. They kept looking in all directions seeking Bilbo. When the duo did appear, the three young Hobbits ran towards them and hugged the wizard and the old Hobbit. They sang in joy and danced all around them. Harry looked with wonder at the dancing Hobbits.

Gandalf noticing this said, "**These are very merry folk, Master Elros. You will definitely love them.**" Harry smiled in response. He takes a little time to understand Common tongue as he rarely speaks in it, though he had studied it. Pippin looked up and saw a smiling Harry and continued with Merry. They pulled the old hobbit to sit and sat around him. Aragorn and Gandalf took the last seats and everybody sat.

Aragorn asked Gandalf, "**What happened? Why did you not show up?**" The three young Hobbits looked curiously at him. "**Yes! Yes! Why haven't you came Gandalf? It was all scary and dangerous to travel.**" Sam asked.

"**It is a very long story and will be told after the lunch.**" But Merry and Pippin insisted him to tell them. So Gandalf told, "**In short, I believed somebody who could help us in the ordeal but I was deceived and held Captive. I escaped and hoped my dear friend Aragorn to guide you. He indeed helped you and now we are all here.**"

But Sam was not satisfied, "**You should be more careful in whom you trust Mr. Wizard. Frodo almost died and if not for the lady sitting over there, he would really be dead.**" Tears filled out Sam's little eyes as he spoke.

He stood up and said, "**Thank you Lady Arwen, for coming to us in the need and saving our friend. We are really very thankful for your kindness. Lord Elrond sir, I am thankful to you even more, for healing Mr. Frodo.**" The other Hobbits rose and bowed in honour.

The Elven family curtly nodded and the hobbits sat down to eat. Aragorn looked at Arwen and smiled, which was returned.

"**Sam, you need not tell me who to trust. I was there when the wraiths surrounded you at Weathertop. I successfully drove off four of them, but the remaining five attacked you. I lost them, though and returned here hoping to send for some help to you.**" Gandalf spoke slowly.

"**So you sent Lady Arwen. Why not you come yourself and not send a big party to charge against those evil riders.**" Merry complained. Aragorn was listening keenly. Arwen had not mentioned seeing Gandalf or being sent by him. And also, Lord Elrond would not send his daughter to rescue someone, when he has very fine elven warriors at his command.

"**I did not send Lady Arwen, Meriadoc. By the time I reached, Frodo was already here, being attended to his wounds by Lord Elrond. As I was sure Aragorn will lead you safely here and also as I am busy with something, I did not comeback.**" Gandalf explained. He wanted to say about Elros but thought it better to reveal at a later time. It would take too much explanation and he himself was not sure how much he understood.

"**Wow, Strider, I did not believe you when you said Lady Arwen is many times faster than the riders. She must be as fast as the wind.**" Sam said. Aragorn was confused, Asfaloth is very fast, but how could Arwen reach Rivendell before Gandalf who had a head start? It would have taken Gandalf at least two days to travel and counting the elven horse, it should have taken around one and half a day and even in the most bizarre circumstances they could have met here. How could Arwen come here so early?

"**What happened to the black riders?**" Merry asked.

"**They were dealt with and I believe they are back to their master, defeated. Let us not waste the good food here. We can talk in leisure.**" Gandalf said. The Hobbits ate till their bellies could burst and slowly staggered back to rest. Harry looked at them all in wonder. He doesn't know all that Gandalf had to go through. That sounded terrible. He felt sorry for the old wizard. '_Why hasn't he told about this? Surely, Ada knew this and by the perfect composure of Arwen, she should know about this. Why is that I am kept behind the veil?_' Harry thought. He wanted to protest but remembering he's already grounded, he calmed down so as not to make up for additional punishment. He returned after his lunch to cleaning the rooms and artifacts. The Elven brought up has surely taken over him and he is not as easily provoked as he was in his past.

After sometime, Aragorn walked to him. He greeted the ranger, "Very good to see you, Aragorn. Been a long while since I saw you", while mopping the floor.

"Glad to meet you, Elros. Why are you cleaning the floor? I could ask you to leave it aside and let the maids do the work, but I would not." Aragorn said.

"Yes. This is a part of my punishment, for something I have done." Harry answered.

"By whom was this punishment levied?" Aragorn asked.

"Lord Glorfindel." Harry curtly answered.

"I see. You are being trained by him, aren't you? These may seem like punishments but always remember, these are more than discipline. He is making you learn something." Aragorn said.

"Yes, like how to keep the floor clean." Harry replied curtly.

"That is what it meets to the eye, but in a more subtle way he is making you lean something else." Aragorn continued.

"I just mocked you previously, Aragorn. Of course, I can turn this into a training experience, like learning to balance on a wet floor or how to sustain your energy for long hours etc. " harry replied.

"That's very good Elros. Or do you prefer Harry?" Aragorn asked.

"Only Arwen calls me that Aragorn. I don't mind any name though, except, being called 'Harry' makes me remember my past and Elros makes me remember who I am now. I don't mind being called by any name as long as it is not something, Er, something mocking or ostentatious." Harry answered. "What do you prefer? Aragorn or Estel?"

Aragorn laughed at that and said, "You caught me there. What did you do so as to make Glorfindel punish you?"

Harry smiled and replied, "I have been taking a few little trips outside the valley, without Ada's consent. Got caught recently and now I have to do all this."

"Really, I too had once gone out to see what was beyond the valley before I am off age and that time, I had to help the cook in serving the dishes to all the guards and maids for two days. There are hundreds of them here, before I finish serving a few, more and more appeared for food. I had to keep on running back and forth between kitchen and serving halls." Aragorn replied, gently massaging his calves representing the pain his young calves had suffered. "Though later, it helped in my early ranger days."

Harry laughed imagining a young Aragorn running around the halls and a little noise caught his attention. He looked in that direction trying to catch more of it. Aragorn listened to it too and loudly said, "**You should go straight and at the floral fountain, turn right, cross three halls to reach kitchen.**"

Merry and Pippin froze in their path listening to the sudden voice of Aragorn and looked at each other. Harry quickly ran over there to see two hobbits looking at each other wide eyed. Then their faces had a big smile and both started running, only to stop before a standing Harry. They looked up and Pippin looked at Merry. Merry said, "**Well, Hello. We were just walking. Pippin, I think it's time to return to our rooms.**" and saying that, he turned back.

"**Wait,**" said Harry. "**I am very sorry you haven't eaten properly at the lunch. I will personally escort you to the kitchen and see that you are satisfied.**" Harry offered feeling sorry for his guests. They should have felt a little too socially obliged to eat properly at a new place. He knew what it was like. "Here, please come with me."

"**You need not worry about them, Harry. They have eaten well in the lunch. They must be going for a second lunch.**" Aragorn said.

"**There is nothing called a second lunch.**" Pippin said. "**We are just planning to know around the place and if possible, get a few cookies before afternoon tea and a little half-yoking.**" Pippin said, trying to look as intelligently as possible.

"**I do appreciate cookies with the tea, and I will have someone guide you around here. After all the travel you have made, it might be a little passive to sit inside. Aragorn, would you please show them the halls.**" Harry said, requesting Aragorn as he had to clean the entire eastern corridor. "**There is much to see here.**"

"**Well then, we will start with the kitchen**" Pippin aid and the two hobbits rushed at full speed over a bewildered Harry to Aragorn's side.

"Gourmet, these Hobbits are." Aragorn said and left with the enthusiastic Hobbits. Harry looked at the trio for a while and smiling to himself, continued his job.

The following days, Harry enjoyed the company of the fun loving Hobbits. Though their acts are generally stupid, they brought new cheer to him. He enjoyed a very calm and peaceful upbringing and these Hobbits made the greatest of his celebrations here appear nothing, compared to the 'rumble' they caused. Frodo Baggins awoke on the third day and since then the tumult increased exponentially. All their activities made Harry remember George and Fred.

Pippin and Merry, though cousins they are, acted more like brothers. They were no good pranksters but are puckish and ended up as total fools. Each time Harry cleaned a corridor or a room, Merry and Pippin would 'unintentionally' cause something that ruins all his work. That happened repeatedly and each time they expected some serious censure for doubling his work/effort, they would be left bewildered by a gentle and caring smile across Harry's face. With a Horcrux here, he knows the value of the little amusement these lads are providing.

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As Sparrowbirdy is going to be busy too, I require someone to help me by proof reading the chapters before I publish them. Any interested betas in the readers, please PM me. I have already contacted Snowy the sane fan girl to help me make my previous chapters more readable, but for the next chapters I need some help. Thanks to al again for the support and reviews.


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